x •
R HYS , PRIN c E OF So TUT H W A if, E §
Baflr* loilp!-
THE
ITINERARY
OF
ARCHBISHOP BALDWIN
THROUGH WALES,
A. D. MCLXXXVIII.
BY
GIRALDUS DE BARRI;
TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH, AND ILLUSTRATED WITH VIEWS,
ANNOTATIONS, AND A LIFE OF GIRALDUS,
BY
SIR RICHARD COLT HOARE, BART.
F. R. S. F. A. S.
VOLUME THE SECOND.
LONDON:
PRINTED FOR WILLIAM MILLER, ALBEMARLE STREET,
BY W. BULMER AND CO. CLEVELAND-ROW,
ST. JAMES'S.
1806.
SEP 2 8 196
\.
BOOK II.
P R E FA C E.
SINCE, therefore, Saint David's is the head, and in times past was
the metropolitan city of Wales, though now, alas ! retaining more
of the name than of the omen,3 yet I have not forborn to weep over
1 Giraldus, ever glad to pun upon words, here opposes the word nomen to omen.
' Plus nominis habens qudm ominis." Being a man of extraordinary reading, and,
conversant with the works of the Greek and Roman writers, he may have perhaps
borrowed this expression from Plautus, who in his play of Persa, has introduced a
young female, offered for sale to a pander of the name of Dordalus, who, in company
with a knavish servant called Toxilus, is introduced as putting questions to the damsel.
The dialogue is as follows: (Dordalus) Quid nomen tibi est? (Virgo) Lucridi nomen
in patria fuit. (Toxilus) Nomen atque omewquantivis est pretii, &c. (Dordalus) Si te
emam, mihi quoque Lucridem confido fore te. Plautus Delphini, Tom. II. p. 277.
Actus IV. Scena IV.
The exclamation of Toxilus is obviously grounded upon a double meaning, assigned
to the name of Lucris (quasi a lucro), from whence he takes occasion to prognosticate
a good omen to the purchaser. How valuable is a name and an omen ! or how valu-
able is that name which carries its good omen with it! and the pander's reply plainly
shews that he understood it in that light. A similar superstition still prevails in some
parts of Italy, and in other places on the Continent. I mean, the custom of giving to
infants, as their baptismal name, the name of the saint whose festival is the nearest to
the birthday of the child ; from which name, if it is capable of a fortunate or favour-
able translation, the good fortune or disposition of the child is inferred. This day is
also, in all catholic countries, more honoured in the observance than the birthday,
VOL. ii. a
PREFACE.
the obsequies of our ancient and undoubted mother, to follow the
mournful hearse, and to deplore with tearful sighs the ashes of our
half-buried matron.
I shall, therefore, endeavour briefly to declare to you, in what
manner, from whence, and from what period the pall was first
brought to Saint David's, and how it was taken away ; how many
prelates were invested with the pall ; and how many were de-
spoiled thereof, together with their respective names to this present
day.
particularly in Germany, where it is called the Names-day, and special prayers are
offered up to the saint, aud wishes of good omen to the parents, with other superstitious
observations.
"S,
'•?»••• .*•
ITINERARY
THROUGH
WALES.
BOOK II. :
CHAPTER I.
SAINT DAVID'S.
WE are informed by the British historians, that Dubricius Arch-
bishop of Caerleon, sensible of the infirmities of age, or rather being
desirous of leading a life of contemplation, resigned his honours to
David, who is said to have' been uncle to King Arthur; and by his
interest the see was translated to Menevia, although Caerleon, as
we have observed in the first book, was much better adapted for
the episcopal see. For Menevia is situated in a most remote corner
of land upon the Irish ocean, the soil stoney and barren, neither
clothed with woods, distinguished by rivers, nor adorned by
VOL. II. B
m
meadows, ever exposed to the winds and tempests, and continually
subject to the hostile attacks of the Flemings on one side, and of
the Welsh on the other. For the holy men who settled here chose
purposely such a retired habitation, that by avoiding the noise of
the world, and preferring an heremitical to a pastoral life, they
might more freely provide for " that part which shall not be taken
away :" for David was remarkable for his sanctity and religion, as
the history of his life will testify. Amongst the many miracles re-
corded of him, three appear to me the most worthy of admiration :
his origin and conception ; his pre-election thirty years before his
birth ; and what exceeds all, the sudden rising of the ground, at
Brevy, under his feet while preaching, to the great astonishment of
all the beholders.
Since the time of David, twenty-five archbishops presided over
the see of Menevia, whose names are here subjoined : David,
Cenauc, Eliud, who was also called Teilaus, Ceneu, Morwal, Hae-
runen, Elwaed, Gurnuen, Lendivord, Gorwysc, Gogan, Cledauc,
Anian, Elvoed, Ethclmen, Elanc, Malscoed, Sadermen, Catellus,
Sulhaithnai, Nonis, Etwal, Asser, Arthuael, Sampson. In the time
of Sampson, the pall was translated from Menevia in the following
manner: a disorder, called the yellow plague, and by the physi-
cians, the ictiac passion, of which the people died in great numbers,
raged throughout Wales, at the time when Sampson held the
archiepiscopal see. Though a holy man, and fearless of death, he
was prevailed upon, by the earnest intreaties of his people, to go
on board a vessel, which was wafted, by a south wind, to Britannia
Armorica,1 where he and his attendants were safely landed. The
' Armorica is derived from the Celtic words Ar and Mon, which signify on or
m
see of Dol being at that time vacant, he was immediately elected
bishop: hence it came to pass, that on account of the pall* which
Sampson had brought thither with him, the succeeding bishops,
even to our times, always retained it. But during the presidency of the
Archbishop of Tours, this adventitious dignity ceased ; yet our coun-
trymen through indolence or poverty, or rather owing to the arrival
of the English into the island, and the frequent hostilities com-
mitted against them by the Saxons, lost their archiepiscopal honours ;
but until the entire subjugation of Wales by King Henry the First,
the Welsh bishops were always consecrated by the Bishop of Saint
David's ; and he was consecrated by his suffragans, without any
profession or submission being made to any other church.
From the time of Sampson, to that of King Henry the First,
nineteen bishops presided over this see : Ruelin, Rodherch, Elguin,
Lunuerd, Nergu, Sulhidir, Eneuris, Morgeneu, who was the first
Bishop of Saint David's who ate flesh, and was there killed by
pirates ; he appeared to a certain bishop in Ireland on the night of
near the sea, and so called to distinguish it from the more inland parts of Britany.
The maritime cities of Gaul were called " Armoricas civitates — Universis civitatibus
qua) oceanum aUingunt, quaeque Gallorum consuetudine Armoricae appellantur."
Cassar Comment, lib. vii.
1 The archiepiscopal pall was at first truly a mantle or upper vesture (as the word
imports) worn by the Roman emperors, and by Constantine permitted as an honour to
the Pope, and by him communicated to the other patriarchs ; and in this form it con-
tinues in the Eastern parts; whereas at Rome, and in the west, this title is given to a
small portion, as appendix to the first pallium, being (according to the description
given of it by Pope Innocent the Third) a certain wreath (as it were the collar of an
order) of about three fingers breadth encompassing the neck ; from which descend two
labels, before and behind. On the circle are inwoven four purple crosses, and on each
label, one ; and it is fastened to the upper garment with three golden pins. Cressy,
p. 972.
[4]
his death, shewing his wounds, and saying, " Because I ate meat, I
am made meat." Nathan, Jevan (who was bishop only one night),
Argustel, Morgeneuth, Ervin, Tramerin, Joseph, Bleithud, Sulghein,
Abraham, Wilfred. Since the subjugation of Wales to the present
time, three only have held the see : in the reign of King Henry the
First, Bernard ; in the reign of King Stephen, David the Second ; and
in the reign of King Henry the Second, Peter, a monk of the order of
Clugny ; who all, by the king's mandate, were consecrated at Canter-
bury : as also Geoffrey, prior and canon of Lanthoni, who succeeded
them in the reign of King John, and was preferred to this see by the
interest of Hubert Archbishop of Canterbury, and afterwards con-
secrated by him. We do not hear that either before or after that
subjugation, any arcbbishop of Canterbury ever entered the borders
of Wales, except Baldwin, a monk of the Cistercian order, Abbot of
Ford,3 and afterwards Bishop of Worcester, who traversed that rough,
inaccessible, and remote country with a laudable devotion for the
service of the cross ; and as a token of investiture, celebrated mass in
all the cathedral churches ; so that till lately the see of Saint David's
owed no subjection to that of Canterbury, as may be seen in Bede's
English History, who says, " That Augustiu, Bishop of the Angles,
after the conversion of King Ethelfred, and his people, called toge-
ther the British Bishops of Wales on the confines of the West Saxons,
as legate of the apostolic see. When the seven bishops4 appeared,
3 Ford Abbey was situated in the parish of Thorncomb, Devon, and near the confines
of the county of Somerset. In the year 1 136, Richard Fitz-Baldwin de Brien, Baron
of Okehampton, and Sheriff of Devonshire, brought an abbot and twelve Cistercian
monks to a place called Brightley in Devonshire, from whence they were removed to
•Ford, in the year 1141, by Adelicia, sister and heiress to the aforesaid Richard.
4 The Bishops of Hereford, Worcester, Landaf, Bangor, Saint Asaph, Lhanpadarn,
and Margan, or Glamorgan.
Augustin sitting in his chair, M'ith Roman pride, did not rise up at
their entrance. Observing his haughtiness (after the example of a
holy anachorite of their nation), they immediately returned, and
treated him and his statutes with contempt, publicly proclaiming
that they would not acknowledge him for their archbishop ; alleg-
ing, that if he now refused to rise up to us, how much more will he
hold us in contempt, if we submit to be subject to him ?" That there
were at that time seven bishops in Wales, and now only four, may
be thus accounted for ; because perhaps there were formerly more
cathedral churches in Wales, than there are at present, or the extent
of Wales might have been greater. Amongst so many bishops thus
deprived of their dignity, Bernard, the first French Bishop of Saint
David's, alone defended the rights of his church in a public manner;
and after many expensive and vexatious appeals to the court of
Rome, would not have reclaimed them in vain, if false witnesses had
not publicly appeared at the Council of Rheims, before Pope Euge-
nius, and testified that he had made profession and submission to
the see of Canterbury. Supported by three auxiliaries, the favour
and intimacy of King Henry, a time of peace and consequent plenty,
he boldly hazarded the trial of so great a cause, and so confident
was he of his just right, that he sometimes caused the cross to be
carried before him during his journey through Wales.
Bernard, however commendable in some particulars, was remark-
able for his insufferable pride and ambition. For as soon as he be-
came courtier and a creature of the king's, panting after English
riches by means of translation, (a malady under which all the
English sent hither seem to labour), he alienated many of the lands
of his church without either advantage or profit, and disposed of
[6]
others so indiscreetly and improvidently, that when ten carrucates
of land were required for military purposes, he would with a liberal
hand give twenty or thirty; and of the canonical rites and ordinances
which he had miserably and unhappily instituted at Saint David's,
he would hardly make use of one, at most only two or three. With
respect to the two sees of Canterbury and Saint David's, I will briefly
explain my opinion of their present state. On one side, you will see
royal favour, affluence of riches, numerous and opulent suffragan
bishops, great abundance of learned men, and well skilled in the
laws : on the other side a deficiency of all these things, and a total
want of justice : on which account the recovery of its ancient rights
will not easily be effected, but by means of those great changes and
vicissitudes which kingdoms experience from various and unex-
pected events.
The spot where the church of Saint David's is built, and first
founded in honour of the Apostle Saint Andrew, is called the Vale
of Roses ; which ought rather to be named the Vale of Marble, since
it abounds with one, and by no means with the other. The river
Alun, a muddy and unproductive rivulet,5 bounding the church-
yard on the northern side, flows under a marble stone, called Lech-
lavar, which has been polished by continual treading of passengers ;
concerning whose name, size, and quality, we have treated in our
Prophetic History. Henry the Second, on his return from Ireland,
is said to have passed over this stone, before he entered the church
of Saint Andrew and Saint David. Having left the following garri-
sons in Ireland, namely, Hugh de Lacy (to whom he had given
1 This little brook does not, in modern times, deserve the title here given to it by
Giraldus, for it produces trout of a most delicious flavour.
en
Meath) in Dublin, with twenty soldiers; Stephen and Maurice Girald
with other twenty men ; Humphrey de Bohun, Robert son of Ber-
nard, and Hugh de Grandeville, at Waterford, with forty men ; and
William the son of Adelm, and Philip de Breusa, at Weixford with
twenty men; on the second day of Easter, the king embarked at
sunrise on board a vessel in the outward port of Weixford, and with
a south wind, landed about noon in the harbour of Menevia. Pro-
ceeding towards the shrine of Saint David, habited like a pilgrim,
and leaning on a staff, he met at the white gate a procession of the
canons of the church coming forth to receive him with due honour
and reverence. As the procession solemnly moved along, a Welsh
woman threw herself at the king's feet, and made a complaint against
the bishop of the place, which was explained to the king by an in-
terpreter; the woman, immediate attention not being paid to her
petition, with violent gesticulation, and a loud and impertinent voice,
exclaimed, repeatedly, " Vindicate us this day, Lechlavar ! revenge
us and the nation in this man!" On being chidden and driven
away by those who understood the British language, she more ve-
hemently and forcibly vociferated in the like manner, alluding to
the vulgar fiction and proverb of Merlin, " That a king of England,
and conqueror of Ireland, should be wounded in that country by a
man with a red hand, and die upon Lechlavar on his return through
Menevia." This was the name of that stone, which serves as a bridge
over the river Alun, that divides the cemetery from the northern side
of the church ; it is a beautiful piece of marble, polished by the feet
of passengers, ten feet in length, six in breadth, and one in thick-
ness. Lechlavar signifies in the British language a talking stone.6
' Lechlavar, so called from the words in Welsh, Llec, a stone, and LJavar, loquacious.
• [8]
There was an ancient tradition respecting this stone, that at a time
when a corpse was carried over it, for interment, it broke forth into
speech, and by the effort cracked in the middle, which fissure is
still visible ; and on account of this barbarous and ancient supersti-
tion, the corpses are no longer brought over it. The king, who had
heard the prophecy, approaching the stone, stopped for a short time
at the foot of it, and looking earnestly at it, boldly passed over ; then
turning round, and looking towards the stone, thus indignantly in-
veighed against the prophet : " Who will hereafter give credit to
the lying Merlin?" A person standing by, and observing what had
passed, in order to vindicate the injury done to the prophet, replied,
with a loud voice, " Thou art not that king by whom Ireland is to
be conquered, or of whom Merlin prophesied !" The king then enter-
ing the church founded in honour of Saint Andrew and Saint David,
devoutly offered up his prayers, and heard mass performed by a
chaplain, whom alone out of so large a body of priests, Providence
seems to have kept fasting till that hour, for this very purpose.
Having supped at Saint David's, the king departed for the castle of
Huverford, distant about twelve miles. It appears very remarkable
to me, that in our days, when David the Second presided over the
see, the river should have flowed with wine : and that the spring
called Pistyll Dewi,7 or the Pipe of David, from its flowing through
a pipe into the eastern side of the church-yard, should have ran
' The miraculous origin of this spring has been attributed to Saint David, and is
thus related in his life written by Giraldus. " It happened on a certain day, when the
brethren of the church were assembled together, that a general complaint was, made
of the want of clean and pure water for the performance of mass and other religious
solemnities; for the river Alun, which flows through the vale, was muddy, and often
times defective during the summer season. On hearing which, the holy father David
with milk. The birds also of that place, called jack-daws, from
being so long unmolested by the clergy of the church, were grown
so tame and domesticated as not to be afraid of persons dressed in
black. In clear weather the mountains of Ireland are visible from
hence, and the passage over the Irish sea may be performed in one
short day ; on which account William, the son of William the Bas-
tard, and the second of the Norman kings in England, who was
called Rufus, and who had penetrated far into Wales, on seeing Ire-
land from these rocks, is reported to have said, " I will summon
hither all the ships of my realm, and with them make a bridge to
attack that country." Which speech being related to Murchard
Prince of Leinster, he paused awhile, and answered, " Did the king
add to this mighty threat, If God please?" And being informed that
he had made no mention of God in his speech, rejoicing in such a
prognostic, he replied, " since that man trusts in human, not divine
power, I fear not his coming."
ANNOTATIONS ON CHAPTER I.
' { Hie etenim angulus est supra Hibernicum mare remotissimus ;
terra saxosa, sterilis, et infcecunda ; nee sylvis vestita, nee flumini-
bus distincta nee pratis ornata; ventis solum et procellis semper
went immediately to the cemetery adjoining the church, and having offered up many
long and devout prayers to the Almighty, a spring of the most transparent water sud-
denly burst forth on the spot, which was fully sufficient for all religious purposes, and
continues to flow to this present day.
VOL. II. C
cxposita."— Such is the dreary and well-pictured account given by
Giraldus of the local situation of this once celebrated ecclesiastical
establishment ; and such, I fear, will every traveller find it on his
approach to the wretched village of Saint David's, where misery and
beggary stare him full in the face, and from whence the want of
even tolerable accommodations has driven away many an inquisitive
tourist and antiquarian. Although, in the language of the poet,
" Menevia plorat
Curtatos mitne titulos, et nomen inane
Semisepultae urbis,"
yet hospitality has not deserted these mitred walls, and I should be
much wanting in gratitude, were I not to acknowledge thus publicly
the many acts of friendship and civility which I have experienced
during two successive pilgrimages to the shrine of Saint David.
As from the lorlorn and retired situation of the cathedral church
of Saint David's, ils ancient as well as modern history is but little
known, I shall give some account of it, from its foundation to the
present time ; with a short sketch of the life of its patron saint, and
a series of its archbishops and bishops, from its first establishment
to the period of this Itinerary. •
Saint David1 was son of Xantus, Prince of Cardiganshire, and
• Dewi, son of Sandde ab Cedig ab Ceredig ab Cunedda, whose mother was Non,
the daughter of Gynyr, of Caer Gawch in Pembrokeshire, was one of the most cele-
brated British saints, being the founder of several churches in Wales. There are four
dedicated to him in Radnorshire; two in Cardiganshire; four in Pembrokeshire; two
in Caermarlhenshire ; three in Brecknockshire; one in Glamorgan; and three in
Monmouthshire; and many more were dedicated to his name in aftertimes. In the
middle of the sixth century he was Bishop of Caer Llion in Gwent, or Monmouthshire,
[II.].
Non, daughter of Gynyr, of Caer Gawch in Mynyw (Menevia), a
chieftain who lived about the middle of the fifth century, and hav-
ing embraced a religious life, gave all his lands to support the
church : Non was also one of the most distinguished female saints
in Wales. He was brought up at place called in Welsh, Henmeneu,
or Old Menevia, and in his early years was much devoted to literary
pursuits, and displayed strong signs of a superior understanding and
abilities. Being advanced to the honour of priesthood, he left his
native country, and went to the Isle of Wight, where Paulinus, a
disciple of Saint Germanus, had opened a school ibr the instruction
which was then considered as the metropolitan of the Welsh church. But, in con-
sequence of his father-in-law's having given all his lands in Pembrokeshire to the
church, and the former place being too much exposed to the incursions of the Saxons,
Dewi removed the see to Mynyw, which afterwards was called Ty Dewi, the House of
David, or St. David's, after his name. In the Triads, Dewi, Padarn, and Teilo, are
denominated the three holy visitors of Britain ; because they went about preaching
the Christian faith to all, without accepting any kind of reward ; but, on the contrary,
expending their patrimonies in administering to the necessities of the poor. In the
same records, Dewi is called the Primate of the Welsh Church, under the eldership of
Maelgwn, and the sovereignty of Arthur, at the same time that Bedwini held similar
functions in Cornwall, and Cyndeyrn in Scotland. He is also ranked with Teilo and
Catwg, as one of the three canonized saints of Britain. In consequence of the ro-
mances of the middle ages, which created the seven champions of Christendom, St.
David has been dignified with the title of the Patron Saint of Wales ; but this rank,
however, is hardly known among the people of the principality, being a title diffused
among them from England in modern times. The writer of this account never heard
of such a patron saint, nor of the leek as his symbol, until he became acquainted
therewith in London. The wearing of the leek on St. David's-day originated, proba-
bly, from the custom on Cymhortha, or the neighbourly aid practised among farmers,
which is of various kinds : in some districts of South Wales, all the neighbours of a
small farmer, without means, appoint a day when they attend to plough his land, and
the like ; and at such a time it is the custom for each individual to bring his portion of
leeks to be used in making pottage for ihe whole company; and they bring nothing
else but the leeks in particular for the occasion. Cambrian Biography, p. 87.
[ 12]
of his countiymen: under him he studied for ten years, till Pauli-
nus, admonished by an angel, sent David away to preach the word
of God amongst the Britons ; which he did with great effect, having
gained many proselytes and founded many religious establishments
both in England and Wales : he then returned to his native coun-
try, and settled himself in the Vale of Ros, collecting around him a
numerous body of disciples and followers, who subscribed to the
rules and orders of his new establishment. Amongst these were
Teilo, Aidan, Macloc, Ismael, Paternus, and Kinot. He was after-
wards, in the year 519, invited by Saint Dubricius to attend a
national synod at Llandewi Brevi in Cardiganshire, where he
preached so successfully against the doctrines of the Pelagians, that
a miracle commemorated the holy ground on which he stood. At
the conclusion of the synod, Dubricius, who at that time presided
over the archiepiscopal sec of Caerleon, being desirous of passing
the remainder of his clays in religious retirement, offered to resign
his high ollice to David, who. by the unanimous request of all the
bishops, clergy, and laity then present, was at last prevailed upon
to accept it, but on condition that he should be allowed to translate
the metropolitan see from the populous city of Caerleon to the more
retired Vale of Menevia. He afterwards assembled another meet-
ing, called the Synod of Victory, at which the whole body of the
Welsh clergy met, confirmed the decrees of the former synod at
Brevi, and added some new regulations for the benefit of the
Church. From these two synods, all the churches of Cambria
received their rules and ecclesiastical ordinances, which were also
sanctioned by the authority of the Roman Church. The period of
his death seems rather uncertain; some authors place it in the
year 544, others towards the end of that century. His character
is thus delineated by our author Giraldus :
" Cunctis autem Pater David, tanquam in specula positus emi-
nentissima, vitae speculum erat et exemplar. Instruebat subditos
verbo, instruebat et exemplo; efficacissimus ore praedicator, sed
opere major. Erat enim audientibus doctrina, religiosis forma,
egentibus vita, orphanis munimen, viduis fulcimen, pupillis pater,
monachis regula, saecularibus via ; omnibus omnia factus, ut omtiia
lucrifaceret Deo."
He was (saith Giraldus) a mirror and pattern to all ; instructing
all, both by word and example ; an excellent preacher in words,
but more excellent in Avorks ; he was a doctrine to all, a form to
the religious, life to the poor, support to orphans, defence to widows;
father to the fatherless ; a rule to monks, and a model to teachers;
becoming all to all, to gain all to God.
Another ancient author has more particularly characterized the
person of this saint: " Vir erat amabilis Aralde, vultu venustus,
forma praeclarus, facundus, eloquens, et quatuor cubitarum statura
erectus.
According to Godwin, Dubricius died A. D. 522, having resigned
his archbishopric to David, Avho translated the see from Caerleon
to Menevia. Authors (as I before observed) differ about the age of
David, as likewise about the time of his first taking possession of his
high office. Godwin affixes the period in the year 577
As there is some difference in the series of bishops given by Gi-
raldus and Godwin, I shall annex the account of each.
GIRALDUS.
1 David.
2 Cenauc.
3 Eliud or Teilaus.
4 Ceneu.
5 Morwal.
6 Haerunen.
7 El \vaed.
8 Gunmen.
9 Lendivord.
10 Gorwvsc.
/
1 1 Gogan.
12 CIcdauc.
13 Anian.
14 Euloed.
15 Ethelmen.
Hj Elanc.
1 7 Malscoed.
18 Sadermen.
19 Catellus.
20 Sulhaithnai.
21 Nonis.
22 Etwal.
23 Asser.
24 Arthuael.
25 Sampson.
26 Ruelin.
27 Rodherch.
GODWIN.
1 David.
2 Eliud.
3 Theliaus.
4 Kenea.
5 Morvael.
6 Haernurier.
7 Eluaeth.
8 Gurnel.
9 Lendywyth.
10 Gorwist.
1 1 Gorgan.
12 Cledauc.
13 Eynaen.
14 Eludgeth.
15 Eldunen.
16 Elvaoth.
17 Maelschwyth.
18 Madeneu.
19 Catulus.
20 Svlvay.
*" /
21 Namis.
22 Sathveney.
23 Doythwal.
24 Asser.
25 Athuael.
26 Sampson.
27 Ruclinus.
GIRALDUS.
28 Elguin.
29 Lunuerd.
30 Nergu.
31 Sulhidir.
32 Eneuris.
33 Morgeneu.
34 Nathan.
35 Jevan.
36 Argustel.
37 Morgenueth.
38 Ervin.
39 Tramerin.
40 Joseph.
41 Bleithud.
42 Sulghein.
43 Abraham.
44 Wilfredus.
45 Bernardus.
46 David Secundus.
4 7 Petrus de Leia.
48 Galfridus.
GODWIN.
28 Rodheric.
29 Elguni.
30 Lunverd: al. Lywarch.
31 Nergu: al. Vergu.
32 Sulhidir: al. Sulhidw.
33 Eneuris : al. Everus.
34 Morgeneu.
35 Nathan.
36 Jevan.
37 Argustel
38 Morgenueth.
39 Ervin: al. Hernun.
40 Tramerin: al. Carmenn.
41 Joseph.
42 Bleithud.
43 Sulghiem.
44 Abraham.
45 Rithmarch.
46 Wilfridus.
4 7 Bernardus.
48 David Fitz Gerald.
49 Petrus de Leia.
50 Galfridus.
[ 16 ]
The Annales Menevenses throw some further light on the chrono-
logy of this see :
A. D. 832 Sadernuen Episcopus Menevensis moritur.
873 No vis Episcopus moritur.
909 Asser fit Episcopus.
9-14 Luvert Episcopus moritur.
94. '> Morcleis Episcopus moritur.
946 Eneuris Episcopus moritur.
JOOO Morgeneu Episcopus occiditur.
!():?') Herbin Episcopus moritur.
1061 Joseph Episcopus moritur.
1071 Hledud Episcopus moritur. Sulgenus Episcopatum
accepit.
1076 Sulgenus Episcopatum deserit; et Abraham accepit.
1078 Abraham Episcopus occiditur a gentilibus.
Sulgenus itemm Episcopatum accepit.
1088 Sulgenus Episcopus moritur.
1096 Rikemarth filius Sulien moritur.
1116 Wilf'ridus Episcopus moritur.
11127 Daniel filius Sulgeni moritur.
1149 Bernardus Episcopus moritur.
1 176 David Episcopus moritur.
1199 Petrus Episcopus moritur.
1214 Galfridus Episcopus moritur.
1 229 Gervasius Episcopus moritur.
1255 Thomas Wallensis moritur.
1 280 Richard de Carreu moritur, et sepultus est in ecclesia
Menevensi prope altare S. Crucis a parte australi.b
k The Welsh Chronicle differs in some slight degree from these Annals. It says
[17]
During the episcopacy of Lendivord, which Godwin places A. D.
810, and the Annales Menevenses A. D. 812, the church of Saint
David's was burned by the West Saxons. From the time of David
to that of Sampson, history has recorded little besides the names of
the archbishops : during the presidency of the latter, seven suffra-
gan bishoprics were annexed to the archbishopric of Saint David's,
viz. Landaf, Bangor, Saint Asaph, Exeter, Bath, Hereford, and
Femes in Ireland ; and, according to Hoveden, the following, viz.
Landaf, Bangor, Saint Asaph, Worcester, Hereford, Chester, and
Lhanpadarn ; but I am inclined to think that neither of these lists
is quite correct, but that the suffragan bishops were the same as
those summoned to attend the synod at Worcester, A- D. 602, who
are mentioned in the note of the annotator Dr. Powel, as Hereford,
Landaf, Lhanpadarn, Bangor, Saint Asaph, Worcester, and Margan-
During the archiepiscopacy of Sampson, a contagious and epidemical
disease raged so violently throughout his diocese, that by the earnest
entreaties of his clergy he was persuaded to remove with them into
the country of the Armorican Britons ; he settled at Dol in Nor-
mandy, where he was shortly afterwards promoted to the episco-
pacy of that city on the death of its former bishop : having brought
over with him the archiepiscopal pall which he had worn at Mene-
via, he made use of the same in his episcopal functions at Dol, of
which circumstance, his successors, the bishops at Dol, taking ad-
vantage, assumed to themselves the like honour of wearing a pall,
and challenged an archiepiscopal jurisdiction and exemption from
the power of their former metropolitan, the Archbishop of Tours :
that Everus, Bishop of Saint David's, died A. D. 944; that Morgeneu was killed bjr
the Danes in 9Q8 : and that Hernun, a man both learned and godlie, died in 1038.
VOL. II. D
[ 18]
this they continued for many years, till the time of Pope Innocent
the Third, A. D. 1198, notwithstanding the many protestations of
the archbishops against this their usurped authority. During all
this interval the see of Saint David's, though acknowledged the
metropolis of Wales, was deprived of its pall ; for which reason
Pope Eugenius the Third, in the reign of King Henry the First,
subjected it to the see of Canterbury, A. D. 1148; but notwith-
standing this deprivation, the Welsh bishops still continued to
receive their consecration from the head of the metropolitan church
of Menevia, till the time of Bernard, the Norman bishop, who was
chaplain to King Henry the First, and consecrated Bishop of Saint
David's, in the year 1151. He is represented as having greatly
injured and wasted the revenues of the church, and by the royal
commands to have resigned the archiepiscopal rights of Menevia to
the see of Canterbury.0 To Bernard the Norman succeeded David
c This prelate appears, in more instances than one, to have been " trans modestiam
notabilis." The Annals of the Church of Landaf afford a very notable instance of his
rapacity and injustice. It is there recorded, that, presuming upon his interest with
the English court, he made a most unprincipled attack upon the revenues of that see,
and having usurped an episcopal jurisdiction over the extensive territories of Gower,
Cydwelly, Cantrebychan, Ystradwy, and Ewyas, which, from the time of Eleutherius,
and since the coming of Austin the Monk, had appertained to the church of Landaf t
without the smallest plea of justice, he attached them to his own diocese. Urban, the
Bishop of Landaf, in vain remonstrated. The Pope, to whom he twice appealed, in
vain enjoined a restitution ; Norman politics completely triumphed, and the Menevian
bishops to the present day enjoy the fruits of Bernard's peculation. About the same
time the Bishop of Hereford, with the same injustice and the same impunity, detached
the territory of Urchenfield from the poor plundered see of Landaf.J
* Quo defuncto (Wilfredo) successit ei Bernardus de transmarinis partibus oriundus,
et primus ad bane sedem regia potestate translatus ; vir quidem curialis atque facetus*
!t copipse hteratus. Bernardus iste, quamquam in multis commendabilis, humanae
tamen imperfectionis maculam non evasit: terras ecclesiae suse plurimas infructuose
penitus et inuliliter alienavit. Giraldus de Jure Menev. Ecclesije, p. 534.
[ 19 ]
Fitz-Gerald, called by our Author, Secundus, to distinguish him
from the patron saint : he died in 1 1 76.e The vacant see was filled
by Peter de Leia, a Cluniac monk, and Prior of Wenloch, who
received the crusaders at his episcopal residence in Saint David's :
he died A. D. 1199.f Some historians have improperly named
Giraldus as his successor : for, though elected bishop, he never was
consecrated to the see; of which fact his own words give ample
testimony — " Quartus his succedaneus fuit Galfridus Lanthoniensis
prior et canonicus."
From the year 577 (at which period, according to Godwin, Saint
David settled himself at Menevia), to the death of Peter de Leia in
e Giraldus says, that a violent schism prevailed at the election of this bishop amongst
the canons of the church of Saint David, who wished to elect a real Welshman (purum
Wallensem), not one of mixed descent; and this wish might very naturally have arisen
from the great injuries their church had sustained from his predecessor in the see,
Bernard the Norman. Our author describes David as a man of a modest character, a
contented turn of mind, and steadily attached to the interests of his church. " Vir
erat hie modestus, vir sua sorte contentus; terras ecclesiaj suae paucas et pauperculas
sibi relictas diligenter excolere et instaurare curabat: de suo nempe vivere volens, non
alieno, non rapinis, non exactionibus indebitis aut extortionibus, non exquisitis et
excogitatis per Angliam et Walliam hospitationibus, indulgebat." Giraldus de Jure
Menev. Ecclesiae, p. 535.
f The character of this bishop has been stigmatized by Giraldus for his short
residence in Wales, the want of proper attention to his diocese, and the heavy taxes
he imposed on his clergy ; he was also accused, by Richard Fitz-Tancred, of transmit-
ting the revenues of his bishopric, and all the money he could collect, into England.
" Primus hie etenim Episcoporum Menevensium nostri temporis qui per hospitia tarn
Anglicana quam Wallensica jugi fere discursu circuiendo et circumvagando cum scan-
dali nota naevoque non modico famae demigrationem incurrit. Primus hie quoque, qui
quolibet ad minus anno tertio clericis suae diocesis grave tallagiorum onus adjecit.
Qui utinain tarn integrae famae fuisset et tarn honestae, tarn sincerae conscientiae et
tarn serenae, tantaeque constantiae in dictis et factis et tarn maturae, quam monachus !"
Giraldus, ibidem, p. 538.
[*>]
1 199, six hundred and twenty-two years had elapsed, during which
time the see had been filled by forty-nine archbishops and bishops.
The cathedral dedicated to Saint Andrew and Saint David, having
suffered greatly from the incursions of the Danes and other pirates,
was pulled down by Peter de Leia, A. D. 1 180, and re-edified : thus
we are able to ascertain the precise aera at which the oldest part of
the present building was erected. In the time of Jorwerth, A. D.
1220, the new tower of the church fell down, and in 1248, during
the episcopacy of his successor, Anselm, a great part of the build-
ing was demolished by an earthquake. To Bishop Martin, who
died A. D. 1327, we owe the chapel of Saint Mary, at the east end
of the cathedral, where he lies interred ; and to his successor,
Bishop Gower, every artist and antiquarian who visit these hal-
lowed walls must be indebted for the beautiful fabric of the episco-
pal palace; he died A.D. 1347, and was buried in the chapel under
the rood-loft, which he had built and dedicated to Saint John. Adam
Houghton, who died A. D. 1388, founded Saint Mary's College, an
elegant Gothic structure adjoining the northern front of the cathe-
dral ; to which John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, was a great bene-
factor. Bishop Vaughan is recorded as the last who contributed
towards the ornament of Saint David's cathedral ; he built a most
elegant chapel between Saint Mary's and the choir, and dedicated
it to the Holy Trinity : he died about the year 1521, and was buried
in his own chapel, where a brass plate (now removed) once com-
memorated him.
To the aforesaid bishops these different structures, forming so very
grand and noble a specimen of architectural skill and elegance,
have by historical tradition been attributed. The demolition of
[31 ]
one of the most interesting features of this groupe, viz. the episcopal
palace, has been attributed to Bishop Barlow, elected to this
see A. D. 1536, who is said to have married his five daughters to
five bishops, and to have portioned them with the produce of the
lead which he stripped off from the roof of this building ; and the
damage thereby occasioned was so great, that twelve years revenue
of the bishopric could not suffice to place it in the same state of
repair in which he found it.
The fame of this celebrated sanctuary was so great that princes
came barefooted to its shrine. In the year 1079, William the Con-
queror entered Wales with a great army, and marching after the
manner of a pilgrimage as far as Saint David's, offered and paid his
devotion to that Saint, s In the year 1171, King Henry the Second
went to Saint David's, and having made his offerings, dined with
David Fitz-Gerald, then bishop of the see ; and in the time of
Thomas Beke, A. D. 1284, King Edward the First, with his Queen
Eleanor, came on a pilgrimage to the shrine of Saint David. h Its
riches were so great, and the offerings to it so abundant, that the
monks are said to have divided them every week : in short, it
8 This journey of the Conqueror to Saint David's is mentioned in the two last
editions of the History of Wales, and is confirmed in the Annales Menevenses, which
state, that A. D. 1079, " Willelmus Rex ad Sanctum David orationis causa per-
rexit." But this expedition has been considered by other ancient writers more in
a military than a devotional light. The old edition of the Welsh Chronicle says,
" that William the Conqueror entred Wales with a great armie, till he came as farre
as St. David's, where he offered and tooke homage of the kings and princes of the
land." (P. 115.) And this account is corroborated by the historian Matthew of West-
minster, who says, " Rex Anglorum Willielmus in Walliam copiosum duxit exercitum,
et earn sibi subjugavit et ab ejusdem regulis homagia per fideles obsides suscepit."
h Eodem anno Doininus Rex Edwardus venit causa perigrinationis apud Sanctum
David una cam Dornina Regina Angliae nomine Elianora die Dominica in crastino
B. Katerinse Virginis. Warton, p. 651.
was once the British Loretto : — now, alas ! the Palmyra of Saxon
antiquity !
Browne Willis, in his account of Saint David's, says, that there
were several little chapels near the sea-side, and adjoining to the
places where those persons who came by sea commonly landed.
They were placed in that situation to attract the devotion of the
seamen and passengers when they first came on shore; and other
pilgrims used likewise to visit them. The offerings received at these
chapels were carried to the cathedral, and divided every Saturday
amongst the canons and priests. This same author (who published
his account of Saint David's in the year J716) asserts, that some
people belonging to the church, and yet living, can remember the
time when the offering-money was brought on Saturdays to the
chapter-house, and there divided by dishfuls, the quantity being
so great as not to allow leisure to tell it. That the devotion to this
church was very great in the times of Popery is certain, and how
meritorious it was accounted appears by this old verse:
" Roma semel quantum, bis dat Menevia tantum."
il It was esteemed as meritorious to visit Saint David's twice, as
to visit Rome once."
Three distinct but adjoining buildings form this massive groupe
of varied architecture, the Cathedral, College, and Episcopal Palace;
the two latter of which are in ruins, and are the most picturesque
in their appearance. On entering the Close through a fine octagon
gateway, they unexpectedly burst upon the sight, and form a coup
d'oeil which cannot fail to excite the surprise and admiration of
even the most indifferent spectator: but how much more impressive
would this view appear if the modern Chapter-house was removed?
for it unfortunately intercepts the most interesting building in the
whole groupe, the Bishop's Palace. (See the annexed Plan.)
The exterior of this cathedral presents no fine specimen of archi-
tecture, and (excepting a Saxon door- way on the northern side) is
entirely Gothic. The old western front (of which Mr. Grose has
given a view in his Antiquities of Wales) was much admired for
its Saxon workmanship and venerable appearance. The new front
is beneath criticism: such an heterogeneous mixture of Saxon,
Gothic, and castellated architecture I never before beheld ! the
columns, as well as the arches in the nave, are Saxon, beautifully
proportioned and richly decorated: each arch is encircled with a
rich border, and each varies in its design. The large columns are
alternately round and octagon, and to these are attached smaller
Saxon pillars: the upper story has a mixture of Gothic in its orna-
ments. The front of the rood loft, which separates the choir from
the nave, is of very irregular Gothic architecture. Under this rood-
loft are three recumbent effigies: that of Bishop Gower (No. 5) is
certain;' the other two (No. 6 and 7) have been attributed, by
Browne Willis, to Thomas Wallensis, A. D. 1255, and to Richard
de Carrew, A. D. 1280 ; but as neither of these figures is mitred, I
question if they have been rightly named. Ascending some steps,
you enter the choir, which is placed immediately under the tower
of the church, supported by four large arches, three of which are
1 Before the Rebellion, this stately tomb was inclosed to the south and west with a
brass palisade, upon the facio of which was this inscription: " me JACET HENHICUS
GOWER STRUCTOE PALATII, ET HUJOS ECCLESI.E MENEVENSIS EPISCOPUS gUI
OBIIT, &C."
Gothic : the one towards the west is Saxon, and filled up ; that
towards the south is also filled up ; the other two remain open : all
of them spring from small Saxon pillars. The organ, which formerly
stood under the western arch, is now placed under the northern.
The bishop's throne is well carved in wood, and on the reverse of
the prebendal seats are some curious and fantastic devices. In the
area of the chancel stands the altar tomb of Edmund Earl of Rich-
mond, father to King Henry the Seventh, which was formerly de-
corated with his effigy in brass, four escutcheons at the corners,
and a brazen plate round the rim bearing this inscription :
" UNDER THIS MARBLE STONE HERE ENCLOSED, REST THE BONES OF
THAT NOBLE LORD EDMUND EARL OF RICHMOND, FATHER AND BROTHER
TO KINGS, WHO DEPARTED OUT OF THIS WORLD IN THE YEAR 1456,
THE FIRST DAY OF NOVEMBER ; ON WHOSE SOUL ALMIGHTY JESU HAVE
MERCY."
And on the tomb was this inscription :
" HEU ! REGUM GENITOR, ET FRATER, SPLENDIDUS HEROS,
OMNIS QUO MICUIT REGIA VIRTUS, OBIT.
HERCULEUS COMES ILLE TUUS, RICHMONDIA, DUXQUE
CONDITUR EDMUNDUS HIS QUOQUE MARMORIBUS.
QUI REGNI CLYPEUS, COMITUM FLOS, MALLEUS HOSTIS,
VIT^; DEXTERITAS, PACIS AMATOR ERAT.
HIC MEDITARE VIANS TE SEMPER VIVERE POSSE ?
NON MORIERIS HOMO ? NONNE MISELLE VIDES
CAESAR QUEM TREMERET ARMIS, NEC VINCERET HECTOR
IPSA DEVICTUM MORTE RUISSE VIRUM ?
CEDE METRUM PRECIBUS : DET REGNUM CONDITOR ALMUS
EJUS SPIRITUI LUCIDA REGNA POLI."
Jobn C«iVt <!.•! '
.James Bo (ire fculp1
pRII^CE GIF § © TEJTH "W AIL IS S ,
[25 ]
On the south side of the choir, and on the pavement, are the recum-
bent effigies of Bishops Jorwerth and Anselm (28, 29), the latter of
whom is thus commemorated :
PETRA, PRECOR, DIC SIC :
ANSELMUS EPISCOPUS EST HIC.
On the north and south sides of the altar, under recesses, are the
figures of two knights in armour, well executed in free-stone. The
effigy on the south side (30) represents a man rather advanced in
years, in a recumbent attitude, clothed in armour, with his vizor
raised, booted and spurred, his head reposing on an helmet : on his
left side he carries a sword suspended by a rich belt ; a lion ram-
pant is sculptured on his breast-plate, and there is an animal of the
same species at his feet. This interesting monument, intended to
perpetuate the memory of the illustrious Prince Rhys, who died
A. D. 1 196, is in a good state of preservation.1"
On the northern side of the altar, is another recumbent effigy
(26), very similar in design and execution to the one above descri-
bed, but evidently the representation of a much younger man:
his head rests on a double cushion ; he bears also a lion rampant
on his breast, but varying in one respect from the other, as the
lion has a cross bar along his neck. This effigy (which has been
erroneously attributed to Owen ap Tudor, who was a prince of North
Wales, and, according to Leland, buried in the friary at Hereford)
was erected to the memory of Rhys of Rhys Gryg. l Adjoining this
k See the annexed engraving of the portrait and effigy.
1 These two sepulchral effigies of knights in armour are attributed by Browne Willis,
in his plan of the cathedral of Saint David's, to Rhys ap Tudor and Owen ap Tudor,
VOL. II. E
[ 26 ]
monument is the celebrated shrine of the British saint (27) ; above
it are three Gothic niches, which, according to tradition, formerly
held the images of Saint David, Saint Patrick, and Saint Denis; in
the front are four quatrefoil holes, and behind it are two others of
a circular form, in which the offerings were deposited. Nearer the
altar on the north side is the tomb of Treasurer Lloyd (25 ) with this
inscription :
" MARMADUCUS LLOYD, ARMIGER, JURIS CONSULTUS, ET MEDII TEM-
PLI SOCIUS HOC FECIT IN PERPETUAM PATRIS SUI CHARISSIMI THOMjE
LLOYD, HUJUS ECCLESIJE CATHEDRALIS THESAURARII MEMORIAM, QUI
OCTAVO DIE MENSIS MARTI I, ANNO DECIMO REGNI SERENISSIMI REGIS
JACOBI, OBIIT, ET HIC JACET."
He is represented recumbent in his robes, holding a book in his
left hand, and raising his right hand up to his head, which rests
on a cushion. The bust mentioned by Browne Willis, as having
but at llie same time he expresses a doubt it" the latter was buried in that church.
Owen Tudor married Catherine of France, widow of King Henry the Fifth, who
bore him two sons, the eldest of whom, Edmund Enrl of Richmond, was buried,
as before stated, in this cathedral; from which circumstance there might be some
reason to suppose lhat the father, who was taken prisoner in the battle at Mortimer's
cross in Herefordshire, and immediately beheaded in the year 1461, might have
been desirous of being interred under the same roof with his son, whose epitaph
records his death in the year 1456; but Leland informs us, that Owen Tudor was
buried in the convent of Grey Friars at Hereford. " Owen Meredith alias Tudor,
buried in the Grey Freyers in navi ecclesiae in sacello sine ulla sepulchri memoria;"
and in another place the same author says, " Owen Meredik, corruptly cawlled Owen
Thider, fathar to Edmund Erie of Richemount, and graund-fathar to Kinge Henry the
Seventhe, buried in the Grey Freres (in Hereford) in the northe syde of the body of the
churche in a chapell." His dishonourable death on the scaffold may account for his
being interred without any sepulchral honours or inscription.
The first mentioned effigy may be attributed to the celebrated Rhys ap Gruffydh,
who died A. D. 1 196, and was buried at Saint David's; and the latter to his son Rhys
Gryg, or Rhys the Hoarse.
[v ]
been placed above the tomb, is not extant, and there are only faint
traces of two small figures on the pedestal. The front of the choir,
under which the modern altar is placed, has three long lancet
windows (the one in the centre the highest) and is richly decorated
with Saxon ornaments. The choir presents a mixture of each style
of architecture. The north aisle is roofless, and the monuments
lie exposed to the severity of the weather. It contains, on the
northern side, the mutilated effigies of a knight Templar (1 2), and of
a monk (13), with an animal at his feet, under an ornamented niche.
Against the south wall is an effigy with an inscription much muti-
lated, and on the same side are two vacant Gothic recesses.
From this aisle we are led into the beautiful chapel built by
Bishop Vaughan,™ in the early part of Henry the Eighth's reign, a
chef d'ceuvre of the florid Gothic, and in a high state of preservation ;
the royal arms and his own are finely executed in rich escutcheons,
and affixed to the cieling : here he was buried, and his image was
engraven in brass upon a marble stone on the pavement, with this
inscription :
PRjESUL MENEVIjE EDWARDUS VAUGHAN HIC JACET ET LUX
ECCLESI^: ET PATRICE FAUTOR, HONORQUE DECUS.
QUINQUE TALENTA HABUIT DOMINI ET DOCTE ET SAPIENTER
ET BENE TRACTAVIT FUDIT ET AUXIT EA.
ERGO DEUS DIC PONTIFICI HUIC, BONE ET EUGE, FIDELIS
SERVE ! INTRA IN DOMINI GAUDIA SUMMA TUI.
" This bishop was a great benefactor to the see over which he presided. " Edwar-
dus Vehan legum doctor et thesaurarius ecclesiae S. Pauli Londini factus Episcopus
Menevensis, aedificavit aedes apud S. Paulurn Londini ubi Doctor Smithus nuper habi-
tabat. Tempore famis distribuebat quingentas in areas pauperibus vicinis suis. Hie aedi-
ficavit in ecclesia Menevensi capellam S. Trinitatis. Hie etiam aedificavit capellam
S. Justiniani. Hie asdificavit magnuin horreum apud Lantfey. Hie reparavit castel-
luni de Lanhauden, et novam capellam ibi aedificavit." Leland Collect. Tom. I. p. 325.
[28]
Not the slightest impression of this brazen memorial is left ; but
the elegant little chapel still remains, " aere perennius," to perpetuate
the memory and good taste of its founder. Saint Mary's chapel,
built by Bishop Martin, is also roofless ; but from many of the well
sculptured key stones that are dispersed near it, we are enabled to
form some judgment of the good style in which it was executed.
The Welsh Cicerone never fails to point out one amongst them, on
which is the device of three rabbits, whose heads are so placed as
to make their three ears appear like six. On the right hand side of
this chapel lies its founder, under a rich Gothic canopy ; and on the
opposite side is the tomb of Bishop Houghton. Let us now proceed
to the southern aisle, where our author Giraldus lies interred. The
tomb marked 22 in my plan of the cathedral, has for many years
been pointed out as the effigy of our author ; and as it represents a
dignitary of the church, may have been designed to perpetuate his
memory. No inscription, however, exists to ascertain the per-
sonage. On the opposite side of this aisle is the figure of an eccle-
siastic holding a book in his hand (20), which possibly might
allude to the literary character of Giraldus; but the inscription
on this tomb is so much defaced that I could not decipher it. This
aisle (which is also roofless) contains the monument of Sylvester
the physician, with this inscription:
SYLVESTER MEDICUS JACET HIC EJUSQUE RUINA
MONSTRAT QUOD MORTI NON OBSISTIT MEDECINA.
And that of another dignitary of the church in tolerable preserva-
tion, with escutcheons of arms on the base of the tomb. The vestry
[29]
and chanter's chapel on this side of the church contain nothing
worthy of notice. On the opposite side are two buildings nearly
corresponding with these; the chapter-house and Saint Andrew's
chapel, neither of which have any thing remarkable ; two fine
alabaster monuments, recorded by Browne Willis, as being here,
are now no more : there is a place railed off, said to have been the
penitentiary, where the penitents stood ; and in the wall are some
round holes, designed to admit the voice of the priests who officiated
on the other side of it in the choir. Under this building is the
effigy of a dignitary omitted by Browne Willis ; and in this chapel,
many fragments, found in different parts of the cathedral, have
been deposited, some of which are curious : there is one of Saint
Andrew bearing the cross on his breast, and another representing
two females holding out an infant child to be received by an old
man.
The southern door of the cathedral is Gothic, with rich Saxon
decorations, and three small figures in niches over it : the highly
sculptured cieling of Irish oak has a most striking and beautiful
effect when viewed from the rood-loft.
Having described the principal features, ornaments, and other
objects most worthy of the traveller's attention within this vene-
rable cathedral, I shall add a few words respecting the adjoining
buildings.
The college, founded by Bishop Houghton, A. D. 1388, is situated
on the northern side of the cathedral, and very contiguous to it.
Its community consisted of a master and seven socii, or assistants,
each of whom had a separate house. Its architecture is Gothic, and
the remaining shell of the chapel bespeaks its former magnificence.
[30]
To the south-west of this building stood the episcopal palace,
erected by Bishop Gower, who was elected A. D. 1328 : it seems
originally to have formed a quadrangle, two sides of which only
now remain. The bishops occupied the eastern apartments. The
kitchen with its curious chimnies, existed till very lately, but they
are now prostrate on the ground. The Bishop's hall is adjoining
to the kitchen. On the southern side of the quadrangle, is a mag-
nificent apartment, said to have been built for the purpose of
entertaining King John and his queen, on their return from Ireland:
the circular east window, which has been often and justly admired,
still remains in a good state of preservation: over the entrance
door way, into the great hall, are the mutilated remains of two
statues, said to represent the king and his queen : but if Bishop
Gower, who was elected A. D. 1328, and died A. D. 1347, was the
founder of this building, how could he have fitted up a hall for the
reception of King John, who commenced his reign in the year 1 199 ?
The chief beauty of the building is derived from an open Gothic
parapet " which encircles it, and, by concealing the roof, gives it a
very light and airy appearance ; a peculiarity attached to the
buildings of this bishop, as I do not recollect having observed the
like in any other part of England or Wales.
This neglected cathedral of Saint David's is rendered interesting
to the antiquarian by many particularities which it still retains,
• Of these open parapets, South Wales furnishes three examples, in the episcopal
palaces of Saint David's, Lantphey court, and Swansea castle. « Henricus Gower
episcopus Menevensis fuit cancellarius Angliaj. Hie sedificavit magnum palatium
Episcopi Meneviae et bonam partem aedificiorum apud Lantfey, manerium Episcopi
Menevensis. Hie etiam sedificavit castellum in Swanseye in solo patrimonii sui."
Leland Collect. Tom. I. p. 323.
<
Iffl
[31 ]
and such as are not frequently met with in other cathedrals,
amongst which are the penitentiary, the rood-loft, and the shrine of
the saint to whom the church was dedicated. The antiquarian,
however, will have reason to regret that the numerous monumen-
tal effigies, which once enriched this edifice, have been so bar-
barously mutilated and robbed of their inscriptions, by which
so wide a field has been left open to conjecture, and so uncer-
tain a clue for modern ages to determine their right and original
owners.
I may, perhaps, be accused of having been too diffuse in my
notes upon Saint David's ; but as my object in this publication is to
illustrate, as much as possible, every place mentioned by Giraldus
in his Itinerary, less could not have been said of this metropolitan
church, which held so conspicuous a rank amongst the ecclesiastical
establishments of the early ages of Christianity; and which, even
amidst its ruins, deserves the notice of every inquisitive traveller
who makes the tour of Wales.
I shall conclude this account with some extracts from the Annales
Menevenses, which throw an additional light on the history of
Saint David's.
A. D. 812, Combustio Meneviae.
986 Godisric filius Harald cum nigris gentibus vastavit
Meneviam.
1000 Menevia vastatur a gentilibus.
101 1 Menevia vastatur a Saxonibus, sc. Edrich et Umbrich.
107 1 Menevia vastatur a gentilibus.
1078 Menevia vastatur a gentilibus, et Abraham Episcopus
occiditur.
A. D. 1086 Scrinium Sancti David de ecclesia furatur, et juxta
civitatem ex toto spoliatur.
1088 Menevia frangitur et destruitur a gentilibus.
1131 Dedicatio ecclesiae Sancti David.
J180 Ecclesia Menevensis diruitur, et novum opus in-
choatur.
1220 Nova turris Menevensis ecclesiae in ruinam impro-
provisam versa est.
1248 Ten's motus magnus fuit in Britannia et Hibernia,
quo magna pars ecclesiae Menevensis corruit.
1275 Incceptum fuit Feretrum Beati David in ecclesia
Menevensi.
As the account given by Powel in the Welsh Chronicle differs
somewhat from the above, I shall insert his tradition :
" In the yeare 810, Saint David's was burnt by the West Saxons.
In the year 911, there came a great navie from Tydwike, with Uther
and Rahald, and past by the westerne sea to Wales, and destroied
Saint David's. A. D. 981 , Godfryd the son of Haroald did gather a
great armie, and landed in West Wales, where spoiling all the land
of Dyvet, with the church of Saint David's, he fought the battell of
Lhanwanoc.
A. D. 987. The Danes landed in South Wales, and dstroyed
Saint David's, Lhanbadarn, Lhanrysted, and Lhandydoch (which
were all places of religion), and did so much hurt in the country
besides, that to be rid of them, Meredyth was faine to agree with
them, and to give them a penie for everie man within his land,
which was called, ' The tribute of the blacke armie.'
A. D. 1078. Menevia was all spoiled and destroyed by strangers.
G-HATFHY cf
§ C AT HE » RAIL
Q.a
[33 ]
A. D. 1088. About this time the shrine of S. David was stolne
out of the church, and when all the jewels and treasures were taken
away, the shrine was left where it might be found againe.
A. D. 1080. About this time certaine strangers, which were rovers
.*.
upon the seas, landed at S. David's, and robbed it, and burned the
towne.
A. D. 1090. The Normans landed in Glamorganshire, and spread-
ing themselves over different parts of South Wales, put an end to
the predatory incursions of the Danes and other pirates. " The
Normanes in great companies landed in Dyvet, or West Wales, and
Cardigan, and builded castels there, and so began to inhabite the
countrie upon the sea shoare," and to their protection the church
and town of Saint David's probably owed the tranquillity which
they afterwards enjoyed.
REFERENCES TO THE GROUND PLAN OF SAINT
DAVID'S CATHEDRAL.
A. Modern west door-way. B. West door- way. C. North door-
way. D. South porch. E. South door- way. F. Stairs to a chamber
over the porch. G. Side aisles. H. The nave. I. Stairs to the
rood-loft. J. Skreen supporting the rood-loft. K. Porch to the
choir. L. First portion of the choir. M; Stalls. N. Stairs to the
gallery. O. Bishop's throne. P. Skreen dividing the two portions
of the choir. Q. Second portion of the choir. R. High altar
skreen. S. Communion table- T. North transept. U U. Site of
two altars. V. South transept. W. Site of an altar. X. Crypt,
VOL. II. F
[34 ]
or chapel (now called the chapter-house) over which is the. school-
room. Y. Stairs to the school-room. A 2,. North aisle of the
choir. B 2. South aisle. C 2. Chapels. D 2. Stairs. E 2. Bishop
Vaughan's chapel. F 2. Site of the altar. G 2- Avenue. H 2.
Our Lady's chapel. I 2. Site of the altar. J 2. Stone seats. K 2.
Priest's stalls. L 2. Niches for holy water. M 2- Font. N 2-
Remains of a sepulchral pillar. O 2- Recesses for offerings. P 2.
Marks in the pavement, said to have been made by the hoofs of
Oliver Cromwell's horse, when he rode up to the high altar.
Q 2. Site of the cloister. R 2. Flying buttresses. S 2- A ruined
chamber.
REFERENCE TO THE MONUMENTS IN THE CATHEDRAL
CHURCH OF SAINT DAVID'S.
No. 1. A simple grave-stone. 2. A grave-stone with the head
of a monk embossed upon it. 3. The tomb of Bishop Morgan. 4.
A grave-stone with the indented outlines of two priests. 5. Monu-
ment of Bishop Gower. 6. Monument of a monk. 7. Monument
of a monk. 8. Tomb of a monk. 9, An effigy destroyed. 10. An
effigy destroyed. 11. Tomb of a monk nearly destroyed. 12-
Effigy of .a cross-legged knight. 13. Tomb of a monk. 14. Tomb
of a monk. 15. An effigy destroyed. 16. Tomb of Bishop Martin.
17. An effigy destroyed. 18. Tomb of a monk. 19. Tomb of a
- on a slab. 20. Effigy of a monk with a book in his hand.
21. A grave-stone in decay. 22. Effigy of a dignitary, generally
supposed to be that of Giraldus Cambrensis. 23 . Effigy of a knight,
. James Bafire frutp1
LlfatTh.i8o«.trTtKDiuiil(iUv.Alb«DaEle Ssttve t, London
[ 35 ]
much mutilated. 24. A plain grave-stone. 25. Tomb of Trea-
surer Lloyd. 26. Effigy of Rhys Gryg. 2,1. Saint David's shrine,
28. Monument of Bishop Jorwerth. 29. Monument of Bishop
Anselm. 30. Effigy of Rhys Prince of South Wales. 31. Tomb
of Edmund Earl of Richmond. 32. Tomb with the indented lines
of a head. 33. Grave-stone with the embossed head of a monk.
34. Tomb of a monk. 35. Arched recess.
REFERENCE TO THE PLAN OF THE BUILDINGS WITHIN
THE CLOSE AT SAINT DAVID'S.
A. The eastern gate. B. Walls surrounding the close. C. The
cathedral. D D DD. Buildings connected with the college. E. The
college hall. F. The episcopal palace. G. The building, vulgarly
called King John's hall. H. The kitchen. I. The Bishop's hall.
K. The chapel. L. The cloisters. M. The churchyard.
[36]
CHAPTER II.
CEMMEIS— MONASTERY OF SAINT DOGMAEL.
THE Archbishop having celebrated mass early in the morning
before the high altar of the church of Saint David, and enjoined to
the Archdeacon (Giraldus) the office of preaching to the people,
hastened through Cemmeis to meet Prince Rhys at Aberteivi. Two
circumstances occurred in the province of Cemmeis, the one in our
own time, the other a little before, which I think right not to pass over
in silence. In our time a young man, native of this country, during
a severe illness suffered as violent a persecution from toads,1 as if
the reptiles of the whole province had come to him by agreement ;
and though destroyed by his nurses and friends, they increased
again on all sides in infinite numbers, like hydras' heads : his atten-
dants, both friends and strangers, being wearied out, he was drawn
up in a kind of bag into a high tree, stripped of its leaves, and
shred, nor was he there secure from his venomous enemies, for they
crept up the tree in great numbers, and consumed him even to the
very bones. The young man's name was Sisillus Esceir hir, that
is, Sisillus Long Leg. It is also recorded that by the hidden but
1 There is a place in Kemeys, now called Tre-liffan, i. e. Toad's town ; and over a
chimney-piece in the house there is a figure of a toad sculptured in marble, said to
have been brought from Italy, and intended probably to confirm and commemorate
this tradition of Giraldus.
[37 ]
never unjust will of God, another man suffered a similar persecu-
tion from rats. In the same province, during the reign of King
Henry the First, a rich man, who had a residence on the northern
side of the Preseleu mountains, was warned for three successive
nights, by dreams, that if he put his hand under a stone which
hung over the spring of a neighbouring well, called the fountain
of Saint Bernacus, he should find there a golden chain ; obeying
the admonition on the third day, he received, from a viper, a
deadly wound in his finger : but as it appears that many treasures
have been discovered through dreams, it seems to me probable,
that with respect to rumours, in the same manner as to dreams,
some ought, and some ought not to be believed.
I shall not pass over in silence the circumstance which occurred
in the principal castle of Cemmeis at Lanhever, in our days. Rhys,
son of Gruffydh, by the instigation of his son Gruffydh, a cunning
and artful man, took away by force, from William, son of Martin
(de Tours), his son-in-law, the castle of Lanhever, notwithstanding
he had solemnly sworn, by the most precious relics, that his in-
demnity and security should be faithfully maintained, and, con-
trary to his word and oath, gave it to his son Gruffydh ; but since
" A sordid prey has not a good ending," the Lord, who by the
mouth of his prophet exclaims " Vengeance is mine, and I will
repay," ordained that the castle should be taken away from the
contriver of this wicked plot, Gruflfydh, and bestowed upon the
man in the world he most hated, his brother Malgon. Rhys
also, about two years afterwards, intending to disinherit his own
daughter, and two grand-daughters and grandsons, by a singular
instance of divine vengeance, was taken prisoner by his sons
[38]
in battle, and confined in this same castle ; thus justly suffering
the greatest disgrace and confusion in the very place where he
had perpetrated an act of the most consummate baseness. It
should be remembered, that at the time this misfortune befell
him, he had concealed in his possession, at Dinevor, the collar of
Saint Canoe of Brecknock, for which, by divine vengeance, he
deserved to be taken prisoner and confined. We slept that night
in the monastery of Saint Dogmael, where, as well as on the next
day at Aberteivi, we were handsomely entertained by Prince Rhys.
On the Cemmeis side of the river, not far from the bridge, the
people of the neighbourhood being assembled together, and Rhys
and his two sons, Malgon * and Gruffydh, being present, the word of
the Lord was persuasively preached both by the Archbishop and
the Archdeacon, and many were induced to take the cross : one of
whom was an only son, and the sole comfort of his mother, far ad-
vanced in years, who stedfastly gazing on him, as if inspired by
the Deity, uttered these words : " O most beloved Lord Jesus
Christ, I return thee hearty thanks for having conferred on me the
blessing of bringing forth a son, whom thou mayest think worthy
of thy service." Another woman at Aberteivi, of a very different
way of thinking, held her husband fast by his cloak and girdle, and
publicly, and audaciously prevented him from going to the Arch-
bishop to take the cross ; but three nights afterwards, she heard a
terrible voice, saying " Thou hast taken away my servant from me,
therefore what thou most lovest shall be taken away from thee."
This lord was faire and comelie of person, honest and just of conditions, beloved
of his friends, and feared of his foes, against whom (especiallie the Flemings) he at-
chievcd diverse victories. Powel, p. 241.
[39 ]
On her relating this vision to her husband, they were struck with
mutual terror and amazement ; and on falling to sleep again, she
unhappily overlaid her little boy, whom, with more affection than
prudence, she had taken to bed with her : the husband relating to
the bishop of the diocese both the vision and its fatal prediction,
took the cross, which his wife spontaneously sewed on her husband's
arm.*
Near the head of the bridge where the sermons were delivered,
the people immediately marked out the site for a chapel4 on a ver-
dant plain, as a memorial of so great an event ; intending that the
altar should be placed on the spot where the Archbishop stood while
addressing the multitude ; and it is well known, that many miracles
(the enumeration of which would be too tedious to relate), were
performed on the crowds of sick people who resorted hither from
different parts of the country.
' The origin of assuming the cross may be derived from the Council of Clermont,
in 1095, when those religious enthusiasts who undertook the expedition to the Holy
Land, had the cross sewed on their garments : " Crucem assumere dicebantur, qui ad
sacra bella profecturi crucis symbolum palliis suis assuebant et affigebanl, in signum
votivae illius expeditions, cujus originem Concilio Claromonlano sub Urbano II. ad-
scribunt scriptores omnes Rerum Hierosol. et alii passim." It was either woven in
gold or silk, or made with cloth, and generally sewed on the right shoulder; but in
the celebrated crusade undertaken in the year 1188, by Philip King of France, and
Henry the Second of England, and which gave rise to this itinerary of Archbishop
Baldwyn through Wales, the different sovereigns distinguished their own subjects by
varying the colours of their respective insignia. In the first crusade all were red ; but
in this the French alone preserved that colour, whilst the English were distinguished
by white, and the Flemings by green crosses. Some zealots carried their zeal so far
as to imprint the figure of the cross on their skin with a red-hot iron, and thus perpe-
tuated the holy mark.
4 On the Cemmeis or Pembrokeshire side of the river Teivi, and near the end of
the bridge, there is a place still called Park y Cappell, or the Chapel Field, which is
undoubtedly commemorative of the circumstance recorded by our author.
[40]
ANNOTATIONS ON CHAPTER II.
CEMMEIS'— From an ancient manuscript by George Owen, Esq. of
Henllys, lord of Kemeys, published in the second volume of the
Cambrian Register, 1 796, we find that the county of Pembroke con-
tained seven cantreds, of which Kemeys was one ; in it were three
comots, Ywch Nyfer, Is Nyfer, and Trefdraeth. Martin de Tours,
a Norman knight, made the conquest of this territory, and founded
a monastery for Benedictine monks at Saint Dogmaels, within the
precincts thereof, and annexed it as a cell to the abbey of Tyrone in
France, which his son Robert endowed with lands during the reign
of King Henry the First. This Robert married Maud Peverel, and
left issue, William, his son and heir, who married the daughter of
Rhys ap Gruffyclh, from whom (through the instigation of Gruffydh
his son) he received great injuries ; for, by force and arms, and con-
trary to his solemn oath and promise, he took from him his castle
at Lanhever in Kemeys, for which oppressive dealing, Rhys was
afterwards punished with great afflictions from his own sons, who
took him prisoner, and shut him up in the same castle. To Robert
succeeded William, his son and heir, who died in the reign of King
John, leaving issue, Nicholas, who married Maud, daughter of Guy
* Cemmeis — Cemmaes — Kernes, and Kemeys —thus is the name of this district va-
riously spelt. Cemmaes in Welsh signifies a circle or amphitheatre for games; and a
curious kind of game called knappan, or hurling the ball, was formerly much practised
in this part of Pembrokeshire ; a particular account of which may be seen in the Cam-
brian Register for 1795, page 168.
[41 J
de Brien. The next Lord of Kemeys was William, who married
Eleanor, daughter of William de Mohun ; he died 1 8 Edward II.
leaving a son and heir named William, who doing homage, had
livery of all his lands, but died the next ensuing year, being then
seized of the whole territory of Kemeys, which he held of the king
in chapter, by the fourth part of one knight's fee, wherein he had
the town and castle of Newport, and leaving Eleanor, his sister
then married to William de Columbers, and James, the son of Ni-
cholas de Audley by Joane, his other sister, his next heirs.
Preseleu, Preselaw, Prescelly, Presselw — The topography of the
Preseleu mountains is thus accurately described in the manuscript
before mentioned : — " The cheefest and principall mountainc of this
sheere is Percelley, which is a long ridge or ranck of mountaines
running east and west, beginning above Pencellyvor, where the first
mount of high land thereof is called Moel Eryr, and soe passing
eastward to Cwmkerwyn, being the highest parte of it, runneth east
to Moel-trigarn and Lanvirnach. This mountaine is about six or
seven miles long, and two miles broade ; it hath in it many hills
rising in the high mounten, which are to be discerned twenty,
thirty, nay forty miles off' and more, and from this hill may be
seen all Pembrokeshire, and some parte of nine other sheeres, viz.
Cardigan, Glamorgan, Brecknock, Montgomery, Merioneth, and Car-
narvonshires ; Devonshire and Somersetshire: the Isle of Londay
and the realme of Ireland. The commodities of this mountaine are
great, for it yealdeth plenty of good grasse, and is full of sweete
springs of water : it yealdeth also store of fuell for the inhabitants
adjoining, for most of the mountaine furnisheth good peate and
turffe, as well the lower parte and playne thereof, as the toppe of
VOL. II. G
[42]
the mountaine. Alsoe out of this mountaine have many fine rivers
their originall and beginnings, namely, Navarne, Taf, Clydagh,
Clethe, Syvynvey, Gwayn, Clydagh againe, and the third Clydagh,
which water most part of the countrye. This mountaine is so high
and farre mounted in the ayre, that when the countrey about is
faire and cleere, the toppe thereof will be hidden in a cloude, which
of the inhabitants is taken a sure sign of raine to follow shortly ;
whereof grewe this proverbe :
" When Percelly weareth a hat,
All Pembrokeshire shall weete of that."
The greatest parte of this mountaine is a common to the free tenants
and inhabitants of Kernes, within which lordship it standeth, yet
in divers parts thereof claymed to be the landes of divers particu-
lar persons, and this name of Percelley is a genus, as Cotteswald is
in Gloucestershire, divers particular places therein having speciall
and proper names.
" Cwmkerwyn is the highest pointe or peake of this mountaine,
and is the first and cheefest land-marke that mariners doe make at
sea, coining from the south or south-west, and is theire sure marke
whereby they make for Milford, and it appeareth unto them at the
first sight a round black hill ; sayling twelve or sixteen houres after
they first make this land, before they come to the sight of any
other land, by reason the sea shores is so lowe; and therefore the
name of Percelley is as well knowne at sea as on lande. Along the
sayd hille toppe of Percelley from the beginning to the ende, there
is scene the tract of an ancient way now cleare out of use ; yet such
hath been the trade of old that way, that to this day markes of it
[43 ]
are apparently discerned, and this way is usually called yet, ' The
Fleming's Way;' and in an ancient charter of Sir Nicholas Martin,
lord of Kernes, by which he makes a grant of all his lands in
Presselw to the heirs of Gwrwared, son of Kuhylin, and to the heirs
of Lhewelyn, another son of the said Kuhylin, mention is made of
this road, ' Sicut via Flandrensica ducit per summitatem montis, a
loco qui dicitur Wyndy-pete indirecte versus orientem usque ad
Blaenvanon, et sic descendendo usque ad ecclesiam Albam, Meline
Trefthey, Perketh, Kilven, et Kilgwyn, &x.' The same author
remarks, that this way doth greatly confirme the opinion touching
the coming of the Flemings here to Pembrokeshire ; and well they
might make this usuall way for theire passage, for that thus passing
alonge the toppe of the highest hill, they might the better descrye
the privie ambushes of the countrey people, which might in straites
and woods annoy them." Were I allowed to form a conjecture
respecting this ancient causeway, without a personal examination
of it, I should be led, perhaps, to attribute its original construction
to the Romans, and not to the Flemings ; and to lay it down in my
map as the military way leading from the station Ad Menapiam to
that of Luentium at Llanio-isau in Cardiganshire.
Saint Bernacus — Little mention is made of this saint in ancient
history. He is said, by Cressy, to have been a man of admirable
sanctity, who through devotion made a journey to Rome, and from
thence returning into Britany, filled all places with the fame of Jiis
piety and miracles. On the seventh of April, according to Cap-
grave, is marked the deposition of Saint Bernach, a British abbot
of admirable sanctity, whose life he gives from John of Tinmouth,
full of extraordinary miracles, but too modern to be of any great
. [44]
authority. Several churches in Wales were dedicated to him ; one
of which, called Lanvernach, or the church of Saint Bernach, is
situated on the eastern side of the Prescelly mountain ; and I have
been informed that there is a redundant spring, called Saint Ber-
nard's well, under the same range of mountains near the road
leading from Haverfordwest to Cardigan, not far from Castel Henry,
and on a farm lately purchased by Mr. Barham, from the Harris
family: adjoining the well, are some ruined walls, perhaps originally
appertaining to the saint's hermitage, or chapel.
Lanhever— The annotator, Dr. Powel, has committed a great
topographical error, in confounding Lanhever with Trefdraeth, the
present town of Newport, and which, in a grant of Sir William
Martin, confirmed by his son, Sir Nicholas, is styled Novusburgus :
to these lords of Kemeys, we may reasonably attribute the founda-
tion of the castle of Newport, of which considerable remains are still
extant. The Welsh Chronicle informs us, that in the year 1215,
Lhewelyn Prince of North Wales went to Cardigan, and winning
the new castell in Emlyn, he subdued Cemaes, and got the castell
of Trefdraeth (called in English Newport), and rased the same to
the ground."
The " castrum apud Lanhever" was at Nevern, a small village
between Newport and Cardigan, situated on the banks of a little
river bearing the same name, which discharges itself into the sea at
Newport. On a hill immediately above the western side of the
parish church, is the site of a large castle, and undoubtedly the one
alluded to by Giraldus. On the southern side of the churchyard is
a curious British cross mentioned by Camden, richly decorated in
divers compartments, with knots, fret-work, fcc. The neighbourhood
[45 j
of Nevern abounds with Druidical antiquities. The cromlech, or
temple at Pentre Evan surpasses in size and height any I have yet
seen in Wales, or indeed in England, Stonehenge and Abury ex-
cepted. At Newport, there is a smaller cromlech, and between that
place and the sea-shore there is a very fine one called Llech y dry-
bed. Tradition has also recorded a striking memorial of this memo-
rable expedition of Archbishop Baldwin, in the name of a bridge
over the little river Duad, which is still called Pont Baldwyn, and
is situated at a short distance above the village of College.
Saint Dogmael. — Martin de Tours, a Norman knight, who made
the conquest of the territory of Kemeys, is said to have been the first
founder of the monastery of Saint Dogmaels, and to have been there
buried in the middle of the choir. But Robert, the son of Martin,
was the chief benefactor to it, as appears by the following deed,
preserved by Dugdale in his Monasticon : — " I Robert, son of Mar-
tin, with the approbation or rather exhortation of my wife Matilda,
and through compassion for the poverty of the monks of Tyrone
residing on my lands in Wales, have founded for them a monastery
in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and have appointed an
abbot to preside over it ; and by the assistance of William, the
chief abbot of Tyrone, and by the gracious encouragement of
Henry King of England, have obtained from them the grant of a
free and undisturbed possession of all those lands and possessions
which I have hitherto given, or may hereafter bestow upon the
said monastery, so that no part thereof can, by any means, be
alienated, even by the king himself, or by any of his successors. I
have also given them the ancient church of Saint Dogmael, with
the adjoining territory of Landodog situated on the banks of the
[46]
river Teivi, in the province of Kernes." Besides other extensive
grants of lands, he allows them the privilege of feeding their herds
of swine in his own woods, and timber for their buildings, the
fishery of Saint Dogmaels, with the right of erecting mills and
wears wherever they pleased, on that part of the river which be-
longed to them: he also grants them the skins of all the deer
killed in his chases, excepting those that were the perquisite of the
hunters. These several grants and privileges, which had been
made at different periods, Avere solemnly confirmed on the day
when Fulchardus was publicly enthroned as the first abbot of the
new establishment, by Bernard Bishop of Saint David's. It also
appears, by the foundation charter, that William, Abbot of Tyrone,
was present at the above instalment, which took place about the
year 1 126-
The saint to whom this monastery was dedicated, is mentioned
by Cressy, under the names of Tegwel, and Dogmael, " as illus-
trious for his great virtues, his sanctity, and his miracles." In
the Cambrian Biography, he is styled, " Dogvael, son of Ithel ab
Ceredig ab Cunedda, a saint, who lived about the middle of the
seventh century, and who has a church dedicated to him in Pem-
brokeshire." The last abbot of this monastery was William Hire,
who, together with Hugh Eyno and seven others, subscribed to the
Supremacy, 30th July, 1534, and received a pension of £13. 6s. 8d.
per annum.
Some extensive, but by no means picturesque ruins of this abbey
are still visible at a short distance from the town of Cardigan : its
situation was well chosen, on high ground, overlooking the river
Teivi. The fine old ash trees, with which the ruins of the abbey
[47 ]
and parish church are encircled, still give it a venerable monastic
appearance. A part of the northern transept remains, in which
are two recesses, and some rich key-stones, ornamented with a
winged lion, an angel holding an escutcheon of arms, fcc. In the
adjoining church, on a stone tablet, is the following inscription:
" HIC JACET JOHANNES BRADSHAW ARMIGER, QUI OBIIT ULTIMO DIE
MAII ANNO DOMINI 1588."
Another stone, mentioned by Camden, still exists, and serves as
a passage over a gutter leading to the clergyman's house. The in-
scription being placed downwards, it was impossible to copy it : it
is thus recorded by the above historian — SASRANI FILI .... CVNO-
TAMI
It appears, by our author's narrative, that the Archbishop and
his attendants received marks of great hospitality from Prince Rhys,
on the first night, in the monastery of Saint Dogmael, where they
slept; and on the next day at his own castle at Aberteivi or
Cardigan.
[48]
CHAPTER III.
TEIVI RIVER— CARDIGAN— EMELYN.
TH E noble river Teivi flows here, and abounds more than any
other river of Wales, with the finest salmon : it has a productive
fishery near Cilgarran, which is situated on the summit of a rock,
at a place called Ganarch Mawr,1 the ancient residence of Saint
Ludoc : where the river, falling from a great height, forms a cata-
ract, which the salmon ascend, by leaping from the bottom to the
top of a rock, which is about the height of the longest spear: and
would appear wonderful, were it not the nature of that species of
fish to leap : hence they have received the name of salmon from
salio. Their particular manner of leaping (as I have specified in
my Topography of Ireland) is thus: fish of this kind, naturally
swimming against the course of the river (for as birds fly against
the wind, so do fish swim against the stream), on meeting with any
sudden obstacle, bend their tail towards their mouth, and sometimes,
in order to give a greater power to their leap, they press it with
their mouths, and suddenly freeing themselves from this circular
form, they spring with great force (like a bow let loose) from the
1 Now known by the name of Kenarth, which may be derived from Cefn y garth —
the back of the wear, a ridge of land behind the wear, a name perfectly applicable
to this village, beautifully situated on the banks of the river Teivi, which, confined
within a narrow vale, forms at this spot a picturesque cataract, and salmon leap.
[49]
bottom to the top of the leap, to the great astonishment of the be-
holders. The church dedicated to Saint Ludoc,1 the mill, bridge,
salmon leap, an orchard with a delightful garden, all stand together
on a small plot of ground. The Teivi has another singular particu-
larity, being the only river in Wales, or even in England, which
has beavers, in Scotland they are said to be found in one river,
but are very scarce. I think it not a useless labour, to insert a few
remarks respecting the nature of these animals; the manner in
which they bring their materials from the woods to the water, and
with what skill they connect them in the construction of their
dwellings in the midst of rivers ; their means of defence on the
eastern and western sides against hunters ; and also concerning
their fish-like tails.
The beavers, in order to construct their castles in the middle of
rivers, make use of the animals of their own species instead of carts,
who, by a wonderful mode of carriage, convey the trees from the
woods to the rivers. Some of them obeying the dictates of nature,
receive on their bellies the logs of wood cut off by their associates,
which they hold tight with their feet, and thus with transverse
pieces placed in their mouths, are drawn along backwards, with
their cargo, by other beavers, who fasten themselves with their
teeth to the raft. The moles use a similar artifice in clearing out
the dirt from the cavities they form by scraping. In some deep
and still corner of the river, the beavers use such skill in the
1 1 can gain no positive information respecting St. Ludoc, whose name is not inserted
in the lives of the saints. Leland mentions a Saint Clitauc, who had a church dedi-
cated to him in South Wales, and who was killed by some of his companions whilst
hunting. " Clitaucus Southe Walliae regulus inter venandum a suis sodalibus occisus
est. Ecclesia S. Clitauci in Southe Wallia." Leland Itin. Tom. VIII. p. 95.
VOL. II. H
[50]
construction of their habitations, that not a drop of water can pene-
trate, or the force of storms shake them ; nor do they fear any
violence but that of mankind, nor even that, unless well armed :
they entwine the branches of willows with other wood, and different
kinds of leaves to the usual height of the water, and having made
within-side a communication from floor to floor, they elevate a
kind of stage, or scaffold, from which they may observe and watch
the rising of the waters. In the course of time, their habitations
bear the appearance of a grove of willow trees, rude and natural
without, but artfully constructed within. This animal can re-
main in or under water at its pleasure, like the frog or seal, who
shew, by the smoothness or roughness of their skins, the flux and
reflux of the sea ; these three animals therefore, live indifferently
under the water, or in the air, and have short legs, broad bodies,
stubbed tails, and resemble the mole in their corporal shape. It is
worthy of remark, that the beaver has but four teeth, two above,
and two below, which being broad and sharp, cut like a carpenter's
axe, and as such he uses them. They make excavations and dry
hiding places in the banks near their dwellings, and when they hear
the stroke of the hunter, who with sharp poles endeavours to pene-
trate them, they fly as soon as possible to the defence of their castle,
having first blown out the water from the entrance of the hole,
and rendered it foul and muddy by scraping the earth, in order
thus artfully to elude the stratagems of the well armed hunter,
who is watching them from the opposite banks of the river. When
the beaver finds he cannot save himself from the pursuit of the
dogs who follow him ; that he may ransom his body by the sacrifice
of a part, he throws away that, which by natural instinct he knows
[51 ]
to be the object sought for, and in the sight of the hunter castrates
himself, from which circumstance he has gained the name of Castor:
and if by chance the dogs should chase an animal which had been
previously castrated, he has the sagacity to run to an elevated spot,
and there lifting up his leg, shews the hunter that the object of his
pursuit is gone. Cicero speaking of them says, " They ransom them-
selves by that part of the body, for which they are chiefly sought
after." And Juvenal says,
" Qui se
Eunuchum ipse facit, cupiens evadere damno
Testiculi."
And Saint Bernard,
" Prodit enim Castor proprio de corpore velox
Reddere, quas sequitur hostis avarus opes."
Thus, therefore, in order to preserve his skin, which is sought after
in the west, and the medicinal part of his body, which is coveted
in the east, although he cannot save himself entirely, yet by a won-
derful instinct and sagacity he endeavours to avoid the stratagems
of his pursuers. The beavers have broad, short tails, thick like the
palm of a hand, which they use as a rudder in swimming ; and
although the rest of their body is hairy, this part, like that of seals,
is without hair and smooth ; upon which account, in Germany and
the arctic regions where beavers abound, great and religious per-
sons in times of fasting eat the tails of this fish-like animal, as having
both the taste and colour of fish. We proceeded on our journey
from Cilgarran towards Font-Stephen, leaving Cruc Mawr, a great
[52]
hill, near Aberteivi, on our left hand. On this spot Gruffydh, son
of Rhys ap Theodor, soon after the death of King Henry the First,
by a furious onset gained a signal victory against the English army,
which, by the murder of the illustrious Richard de Clare near Aber-
gavenny, (before related,) had lost its leader and chief. A tumulus
is to be seen on the summit of the aforesaid hill, and the inhabi-
tants affirm that it will adapt itself to persons of all stature ; and
that if any armour is left there entire in the evening, it will be
found, according to vulgar tradition, broken to pieces in the
morning.
ANNOTATIONS ON CHAPTER III.
ABERTEIVI — This town, which in modern times has assumed the
name of Cardigan, is situated on the northern banks of the river
Teivi, which discharges itself into the sea a few miles from the
town. When the Normans and Flemings spread themselves over
the western coasts of Wales, they probably erected a fort to guard
this river ; but the first mention of it in the Welsh Chronicle occurs
in the year 1155, when Prince Rhys built a castle at Aberdyfi, to
protect his frontiers against the princes of North Wales. In the
year 1157, Roger Earl of Clare, having obtained a grant from King
Henry of such lands in Wales as he could win, came with a great
army to Caerdigan, and fortified the castle of Dyvy, which Rhys
Prince of South Wales destroyed in the following year. On the return
[53]
of King Henry to England, in the year 1165, after his unsuccessful
attempts against the Welsh, Prince Rhys availing himself of his re-
treat, laid siege to the castle of Aberteivi, and won it, and levelled it
to the ground ; it was however rebuilt before the year 1 1 7 7 , at which
time Prince Rhys held a most magnificent feast at Christmas in his
castle at Aberteivi, which is thus recorded in the Welsh Chronicle :
" This yeare the Lord Rees Prince of South Wales made a great
feast at Christmas in the castell of Aberteivi, which feast he caused
to be proclaimed through all Brytaine long before, and thither came
manie strangers, which were honorablie received and worthilie in-
tertained, so that no man departed discontented. And among deeds
of armes and other shewes, Rees caused all the poetes of Wales
(which are makers of songs and recorders of gentlemens petegrees
and armes, of whom everie one is intituled by the name of Bardh,
in Latine Bardus) to come thither, and provided chaires to be set in
his hall, where they should dispute togither, to trie their cunning
and gift in their faculties, where great rewards and rich gifts were
appointed for the overcomers ; amongst whome they of North Wales
wan the price, and among the musicians Reese's owne houshold men
were counted best."
In the year 1188 the same Lord Rees entertained Baldwyn and
his crusaders on their passage through Cardigan into North Wales.
" After the death of Rees, Gruffyth his sonne subdued all the
countrie to himselfe and enjoied it in peace, untill Maelgon his
brother (whom his father had disinherited) made a league with
Gwenwynwyn, the sonne of Owen Cyvelioc Lord of Powys, who
both togither levied a number of men, and came suddenlie upon
Gruffyth at Aberysthwyth, and slaieng a great number of his men,
[54]
tooke him prisoner, and so recovered all the countrie of Caerdigan
with the castell.
" In the year 1200 Maelgon ap Rees, seeing he could not well
keepe Aberteivi, of verie spite to his brother, and hatred to his
countrie, sold it to the Englishmen for a small summe of monie,
being the keie and locke of all Wales.
" In 1215 the garrison which kept the castell of Aberteivi deli-
vered the same unto Lhewelyn Prince of North Wales, upon St.
Stephen's daie, who in the folowing yeare went to Aberteivi to
make an agreement betwixt Maelgon and Rees Vachan, sonnes to
Prince Rees, on the one side, and their nephews, young Rees and
his brother Owen, the sonnes of Gruffyth ap Rees, on the other side ;
where he divided South Wales betwixt them. The castell of Aber-
teivi fell to the lot of Owen, who did not long enjoy his newly
acquired possessions, for in the year 1220 Lhewelyn, Prince of North
Wales, lead an armie to Penbrooke against the Flemings, who, con-
trarie to their oth and league, had taken the castell of Aberteivi,
which castell the prince wanne and destroied, putting the garrison
to the sword." This castle came afterwards into the hands of
William Marshall Earl of Pembroke, who landing at Saint David's
from Ireland, with a powerful army, laid siege to the castle of
Aberteivi and took it A. D. 1223. After the death of the earl, in
1231, it reverted to the Welsh. " Maelgon, the sonne of Maelgon
ap Rees, laid siege to Aberteivi, and got the towne, and destroied it
to the castell gates, slaieng all the inhabitants. And shortlie after
he returned with his coosen Owen, sonne to Gruffyth ap Rees, with
certaine of the princes captaines, and brake downe the bridge upon
the river Teivi, and laid siege to the castell, and with engines and
[55 ]
mines threw downe the same, and then returned home with much
honor." Soon after the death of the brave Lhewelyn, Gilbert Mar-
shall came with a powerful army into Wales, and fortified the castle
of Aberteivi. As from this period the Welsh Chronicle takes no
further notice of this castle, I conclude it remained in the undis-
turbed possession of the English.
Few castles have experienced such a frequent reverse of fortune,
and so sudden a change of masters : being situated on the frontiers
of the principalities of North and South Wales, it became a most
important fortress to each party : thence arose those repeated and
bloody contests between the Welsh and English, to which we may
attribute the small remains that now exist of this once celebrated
castle. This busy and warlike town ill suited the solitary and retired
dispositions of the monastic order. It contained only one small priory
of Black Monks of the Benedictine order, a cell to the abbey of
Chertsey in Surrey, and afterwards granted as part of its possessions
to the abbey of Bisham in the same county. Leland says, " Ther is
a priori in Cardigan towne, but in hit was but 1 1 religiose menne
Blak Monkes. It stondith yet, and is a celle onto Chertesey." The
parish church contains no monumental or architectural antiquities
worthy of notice.
Teivi. — This fine river rises in that long and extensive range of
mountains which separate the counties of Montgomery, Radnor, and
a part of Brecknockshire from that of Cardigan, and to which our
author gives the title of Ellennith. Its principal source is derived
from a lake amongst these mountains, bearing the name Liyn
Tyfi. It flows to the north of the celebrated Cistercian monas-
tery of Stratflur, and till it reaches the little village of Tregaron
[56]
" it fletithe and rageth upon stones." From Tregaron, steering its
course to Lanpeder, or Pons Stephani, it passes between the vene-
rable old sanctuary of Landewi Brevi, and the Roman station of
Luentium, or Loventium, in the parish Llanio-isau; the former
being situated on the south-east, the latter on the north-west banks
of the river, and nearly opposite to each other : from Lanpeder it
flows by Newcastle Emlyn (where its course is very singular) to
Kenarth, the Canarch Mawr of Giraldus, where, confined within a
narrow and well wooded vale, it forms the cataract and salmon leap
here mentioned. From hence, descending to Lechryd bridge, it loses
its raging character, and smoothly gliding under the proud romantic
towers of Cilgarran castle, and adding a most beautiful feature to
that enchanting scenery, is partly lost in the marshes near Cardigan,
where it becomes a tide river. It is still veiy justly distinguished
for the quantity and quality of its salmon, but the beaver no longer
disturbs its streams: that this animal did exist in the days of Howel
Dha, (though even then a ninty,) the mention made of it in his laws,
and the high price set upon its J'in, most clearly evince; but if the
Castor of Giraldus, and the Avanc of Humphrey Llwyd, and of the
Welsh dictionaries, be really the same animal, it certainly was not
peculiar to the Teivi, but was equally known in North Wales, as
the names of places testify. A small lake in Montgomeryshire is
called Llyn yr Afangc ; a pool in the river Conwy, not far from
Bettws, bears the same name, and the vale called Nant Ffrancon,
upon the river Ogwen in Caernarvonshire, is supposed by the natives
to be a corruption from Nant yr Afan cwm, or the Vale of the Bea-
vers. Mr. Owen, in his dictionary, says, " That it has been seen in
this vale within the memory of man;" but I am much inclined to
[57 ]
think, that Avanc, or Afangc, is nothing more than an obsolete, or
perhaps local name for the common otter, an animal exceedingly
well known in all our lakes and rivers ; and the recognition of it
at so late a period as that mentioned by Mr. Owen, considerably
strengthens my supposition. Afancwm is evidently the plural of
Avangi, composed of the words Afan, a corrupt pronunciation of
Afon, a river, and Ci, a dog; synonymous, as I conceive it, with
Dyfrgi, the water dog, which is the common appellation of the
otter among the Welsh. The term Lostlydan, or broad-tail, from
Llost, tail, and Llydan, broad, appears to be more immediately
applicable to the character of the beaver, as described to us by
naturalists, and is equally authorised by the Welsh dictionaries,
though not so often used as Afangc. That the beaver was an
extremely scarce animal in Britain, may be collected from the laws
of Howel Dha, where it appears, that even in those early days,
when the skins of the stag, wolf, fox, and otter were valued only at
eight-pence each, the white weasel at twelve-pence, and the marten
at twenty-four pence ; the beaver's skin, termed Croen Llostlydan,
was estimated at the exorbitant price of one hundred and twenty
pence. The otter is there styled Dyfrgi, but the name of Afangc
no where appears, though the skins then in use are particularly
enumerated. Mr. Bingley, in his Animal Biography, gives the fol-
lowing account of this animal : " The beaver is a native of most
of the northern parts of Europe and Asia ; but is most plentiful in
North America. There is some reason to suppose that it has for-
merly been found in Great Britain, for Giraldus says, that these
animals frequented the river Teivi in Cardiganshire, and that they
had from the Welsh a name signifying the broad-tailed animals ;
VOL. II. I
[58]
The tail is oval, nearly a foot long, compressed horizontally, but
rising into a convexity on its upper surface : it is perfectly destitute
of hair, except at the base, and marked out into scaly divisions,
like the skin of a fish."
Cilgarran— This castle, situated on the Pembrokeshire side of
the river Teivi, experienced (like its neighbour at Cardigan) the
frequent and desolating vicissitudes of war. In the year 1109,
Gilbert Strongbow Earl of Striguil having obtained leave of King
Henry to make conquests in Wales, landed in Cardiganshire, and
having conquered the country, built two castles, one at Aberystwyth,
another at a place called Dyngerant, which has generally been sup-
posed to be the same as Cilgarran.1 " In the year 1 165, it was taken
and rased by Prince Rhys ; and in the yeare ensuing, the Flemings
and Normanes came to West Wales with a great power against the
the castell of Cilgarran (which Rees had fortified), and laid siege to
it, assaulting it diverse times ; but it was so manfullie defended,
that they returned home as they came, and shortlie after they
came before it againe, where they lost manie of their best men,
and then departed againe. In 1199, it was taken and fortified by
Gruffydh, son of the valiant Prince Rhys. In 1204, it was besieged
* " Then the king forthwith sent for Gilbert, sirnamed Strangbow, Earle of Strygill,
which was a noble, valiant, and a worthy knight, to whom he said thus : " Thou hast
beene diverse times a suter to me to have some lands in Wales, and now I give thee
all the lands and inheritance of Cadogan ap Blethyn, win it and take it:" Gilbert re-
ceived it joifullie, and thanked the king, and gathered all the power he might, and
landed in Caerdiganshire, and brought the countrie to his subjection without anie con-
tradiction. Then he builded two faire castels there, one towards North Wales uppon
the river Ystwyth at the sea shore, a mile from Lhanbadarn, another towards Dyvet
upon the river Teivi, at a place called Dyngerant, where Roger Montgomery had
begonne a castell before time." Powel, p. 169.
u
[59 ]
and won by William Marshall, Earl of Pembroke; and in 1215
surrendered to Lhewelyn, Prince of North Wales. In the year 12,2,3,
William Marshall began to build a verie strong castell at Cilgarran,
but receiving letters from the king to come and speake with him,
he went to the court by sea, and left his armie to continue the worke
he had began."
From the many revolutions this castle underwent during those
times of turbulence and warfare, with which almost every district
of North and South Wales was continually agitated, we cannot in
modern days expect to find many remains of its ancient architec-
ture. Two round towers, of large and massive proportions, stand
conspicuous amidst its ruins, one of which, from the uniformity of
its arches, seems to have suffered but little, as to its outward form,
and from the prevalence of the circular arch, bespeaks a Norman
origin. In one of these, a stair-case is still practicable for ascent to
the summit of the tower.
The beautiful scenery around this castle stands unequalled in
South Wales, and can only be rivalled by that of Conwy in North
Wales; but it must be visited by water, not by land. Having
skirted the sides of a long and extensive marsh, a sudden bend of
the river contracting its channel, conducts us into a narrow pass,
surrounded by a perpendicular rampart of wood and rock, with
steep and precipitate banks of oak and copse wood, feathering down
to the water's edge : the first view we catch of the castle, at a dis-
tance, between a perspective range of well wooded hills, is very
striking ; and what, on a nearer approach, it may lose in picturesque
beauty, it certainly gains in grandeur : the proud walls of a large
castle appear towering full in front ; the hill on which they stand,
J
[60]
is rather destitute of wood, but boldly broken with projecting rocks ;
and, perhaps, the general effect of the landscape may not lose by
this contrast to the rich surrounding scenery of wood. I have never
seen ruins more happily combined with rocks, wood, and water; a
more pleasing composition, or a more captivating landscape, which
is animated by the numerous coracles employed in catching salmon.
Our author having made a long digression, in order to introduce
the history of the beaver, now continues his Itinerary : from Cardi-
gan, the Archbishop proceeded towards Pont Stephen, leaving a
hill, called Cruc Mawr, on the left hand, which still retains its
ancient name, and agrees exactly with the position given to it by
Giraldus: on its summit is a tumulus, and some appearance of an
intrenchment.
The signal victory of the Welsh, alluded to by Giraldus at the end
of this chapter, happened in the year 1135, soon after the death of
King Henry the First, and the cruel murder of Richard de Clare and
his son Gilbert, near Abergavenny, by Morgan ap Owen of Caerleon,
the particulars of which have already been related in my notes on
the fourth chapter of the first book. The political changes occa-
sioned by the death of the king, and the unsettled situation of his .
successor Stephen, were not overlooked by the Welsh princes, who
were ever ready to seize each favourable opportunity of distressing
their neighbours, or of aggrandizing their own territories. Their
turbulent spirit began to vent itself in the murder of Richard de
Clare, whilst on his journey from his estates in Monmouthshire, to
those in Cardiganshire.—" Shortlie after Cadwalader and Owen
Gwyneth the sonnes of Gruffydh ap Conan (in whome remained the
hope of all Wales, for they were gentle and liberall to all men,
[61 ]
terrible and cruell to their enimies, meeke and humble to their
freends, the succour and defense of widows, fatherlesse, and all that
were in necessitie ; and as they passed all others in good and laud-
able vertues, so they were paragons of strength, beautie, and well
proportionat bodies), gathered a great power against the Normans
and Flemings, who entering Cardigan, wan, destroied, and burned
the whole countrie, arid returned home with much honor. After-
ward, towards the end of the same yeare, they returned again with
6000 footemen and 2000 horsemen, well armed, and to them came
Gruffyth ap Rees, and Howel ap Meredyth of Brechnoke and his
sonnes, and Madoc ap Ednerth, who subdued the whole countrie to
Aberteivi, placing againe the old inhabitants, and chasing awaie the
strangers. Against them came Stephen, Constable of Aberteivi,
Robert Fitz-Martin, the sons of Gerald, and William Fitz-John,
with all the power of the Normans, Flemings, and Englishmen that
were in Wales, or the Marches. Now after a cruell and blodie fight,
the strangers, after their accustomed use, put all their hope in their
forts, and forsooke the field, and the Welshmen fblowed hard, that
besides 3000 that were slaine, a great number were drowned, and
taken and caried awaie captives."
[62]
CHAPTER IV.
PONT STEPHEN— ABBEY OF STRATFLUR— LANDEWI BREVI-
LHANPADARN VAWR.
A SERMON having been preached on the following morning at Pont
Stephen, by the Archbishop and Archdeacon, and also by two
abbots of the Cistercian order, John of Alba-domus, and Sisillus of
Stratflur, who faithfully attended us in those parts, and as far as
North Wales ; many persons were induced to take the cross. We
proceeded to Stratflur, where we passed the night. On the follow-
ing morning, having on our right hand the lofty mountains of
Moruge, which in Welsh are called Ellennith, we were met near
the side of a wood by Cynric, son of Rhys, accompanied by a body
of light-armed youths. This young man was of a fair complexion,
with curled hair; tall and handsome ; clothed only, according to the
custom of his country, with a thin cloak and inner garment ; his
legs and feet, regardless of thorns and thistles, were left bare : a
man, not adorned by art, but nature; bearing in his presence an
innate, not an acquired, dignity of manners. A sermon having
been preached to these three young men, Gruffydh, Malgon, and
Cynric, in the presence of their father Prince Rhys ; and the
brothers disputing about taking the cross ; at length Malgon
strictly promised that he would accompany the Archbishop to the
king's court, and would obey the king's and Archbishop's counsel
[63]
unless prevented by them. From thence we passed through Lan-
dewi Brevi, that is the church of David of Brevi, situated on the
summit of that hill which had formerly risen up under his feet
whilst preaching, during the period of that celebrated synod, when
all the bishops, abbots, and clergy of Wales, and many other per-
sons were collected thither on account of the Pelagian heresy, whose
doctrines, although formerly exploded from Britain by Germanus
Bishop of Auxerre, had lately been revived in these parts. At this
place David was reluctantly raised to the archbishopric, by the
unanimous consent and election of the whole assembly, who by loud
acclamations testified their admiration of so great a miracle : Dubri-
cius had a short time before resigned to him this honour in due
form at Caerleon, from which city the metropolitan see was trans-
ferred to Saint David's.
Having rested that night at Lhanpadarn Vawr, or the church of
Paternus the Great, we attracted many persons to the service of
Christ on the following morning. It is remarkable that this church,
like many others in Wales and Ireland, has a lay abbot ; for a bad
custom has prevailed amongst the clergy, of appointing the most
powerful people of a parish stewards, or rather patrons, of their
churches ; who in process of time, from a desire of gain, have usurped
the whole right, appropriating to their own use, the possession of all
the lands; leaving only to the clergy the altars, with their tenths and
oblations, and assigning even these to their sons and relations in
the church. Such defenders, or rather destroyers of the church,
have caused themselves to be called abbots, arid presumed to attri-
bute to themselves a title, as well as estates, to which they have
no just claim. In this state we found the church of Lanpadarn,
. [64]
without a head. A certain old man, waxen old in iniquity (whose
name was Eden Oen, son of Gwaithwoed) being abbot, and his sons
officiating at the altar. In the reign of King Henry the First, when
the authority of the English prevailed in Wales, the monastery of
Saint Peter at Gloucester held quiet possession of this church ; but
after his death, the English being driven out, the monks were ex-
pelled from their cloisters, and their places supplied by the same
violent intrusion of clergy and laity, which had formerly been
practised. In the reign of King Stephen, who succeeded Henry the
First, a soldier born in Arrnorican Britain, having travelled through
many parts of the world, from a desire of seeing different cities,
and the manners of their inhabitants, came by chance to Lhanpa-
darn; on a certain feast-day, whilst both the clergy and people
were waiting for the arrival of the abbot to celebrate mass, he per-
ceived a body of young men, armed, according to the custom of
their country, approaching towards the church ; and on inquiring
which of them was the abbot, they pointed out to him a man
walking foremost, with a long spear in his hand. Gazing on him
with amazement, he asked, " If the abbot had not another habit, or
a different staff, from that which he now carried before him?" On
their answering, " No!" he replied, " I have seen indeed and heard
this day a wonderful novelty :" and from that hour he returned
home, and finished his labours and researches. This wicked people
boasts, that a certain bishop1 of their church (for it formerly was a
cathedral) was murdered by their predecessors ; and on this account
chiefly they ground their claims of right and possession. No public
The name of this bishop is said to have been Idnerth, and the same personage
whose death is commemorated in the inscription at Landewi Brevi.
[ 65 ]
complaint having been made against their conduct, we have thought
it more prudent to pass over, for the present, the enormities of this
wicked race with dissimulation, than exasperate them by a further
relation.
ANNOTATIONS ON CHAPTER IV.
THOUGH Emelyn is mentioned in the title of the preceding chapter,
no notice is taken of it in the text. This village, on the direct road
from Cardigan to Lanpeder, now bears the name of Newcastle
Emlyn, and is pleasantly situated on the banks of the river Teivi.
I find it only once mentioned in the Welsh Chronicle, A. D. 1215,
when it was taken by Lhewelyn, Prince of North Wales, who in the
following year, when he made the division of South Wales, gave it
to Maelgon, son of Prince Rhys. — Leland also speaks of this place:
" New castel, alias bi the old name Elmelin, almost on the very
banke of Tyve, but in Cairmardinshire, repaired or new buildid
by Sir Rhese ap Thomas. In this lordship of Elmelin is other litle
fair building : there is a litle forest by Elmelin, and a park was
ther ons palid." Of this castle there are still some considerable
remains on an eminence overlooking the river; its situation was
veiy strong, being nearly insulated by the very singular channel
of the Teivi. The western entrance forms the most conspicuous
fragment of these ruins, the architecture of which, being of the
VOL. II. K
[66]
broad Gothic, bespeaks no very high antiquity. Lanpeder, a small
town near the river Teivi, still retains the name of Pont Stephen:
the verdant site alone remains of its ancient castle, which I imagine
to be the same as that of Stephen, alluded to in the Welsh Chro-
nicle, as having been demolished and overthrown in the year 1137,
by Owen Gwynedh, eldest son of Gruflydh ap Conan. Here our
crusaders rested the night, and on the following morning, the ser-
vice of the cross was successfully promoted by the united exhorta-
tions of the Archbishop, Giraldus the Archdeacon, and the abbots
of Albadomus and Stratflur. From thence they proceeded to the
Cistercian monastery of Stratflur, or Strata Florida, which was
founded A. D. 1 164, by Rhys Prince of South Wales. Dugdale has
preserved many curious memorials respecting this celebrated abbey,
which I shall here insert :
" Ego Resus Sudwalliae proprietarius Princeps, venerabile monas-
terium vocabulo Stratflur aedificare crepi, et aedificatum dilexi, et
fovi; ejus res auxi, et possessiones, in quantum suffragante Domino
valui, ampliavi ; terrain campestrem, et agriculturam, et montuosam
ad animalium pasturam, devota mente, ad remedium animae prae-
decessorum et successorum meorum quantum sibi congruebat in-
dulgens, et omnem quidem donationem quam eidem monasterio
antea contuli, anno iterum ab incarnatione Domini 1184, praesentis
script! memoria stabilivi."
This grant was confirmed by the three sons of Prince Rhys, Gruf-
fydh, Rhys, and Meredyth, in the presence of their army, at the
church of Saint Brigida at Rhaiader, together with all other grants,
which might hereafter be made to the abbot and monks of the said
monastery, either by the gift of the Pope, the liberality of princes,
[ 67 ]
of the devotion of the faithful. The donations of Prince Rhys were
confirmed by King Henry the Second, and a license was granted by
King Edward the First to rebuild the monastery after its conflagra-
tion in the year 1294.
" Sciatis quod dcdimus licenciam dilectis nobis in Christo Abbati
et Conventui de Strata florida, quod ipsi in loco illo in quo abbatia
sua de Strata florida (nuper in guerra Walliae anno rcgni nostri
vicesimo tertio, contra voluntatem nostram combusta) prius sita
fuit, abbaciam suam de novo construere et reaedificare, ac morari
possint ibidem, Deo in perpetuum servituri. Ita tamen quocl bosci
et vise circa locum praedictum, propter pericula quae per boscos
illos, et viarum illarum discrimina futuris temporibus potcrunt
evenire vitanda, per ordinationem justiciarii nostri West-Walli<e
prosternantur, et etiam emendentur."
King Edward granted the sum of seventy- eight pounds sterling
to the convent of Stratflur, for the damages suffered by the late war
and conflagration.
Leland thus speaks of this place: " Strateflere is set round about
with montanes not far distant, except on the west parte, wher
Diffrin Tyve is. Many hilles therabout hath bene well woddid, as
evidently by old rotes apperith, but now in them is almost no
woode : the causses be these. First, the wood cut down was never
copisid, and this hath beene a great cause of destruction of wood
thorough Wales. Secondly, after cutting down of wooddys the
gottys hath so bytten the young spring that it never grew but lyke
shrubbes Thirddely, men for the monys destroied the great woddis
that thei shuld not harborow theves."
In speaking of the monastic building, he adds : " The chirch of
[68 ]
Strateflere is larg, side ilid, and crosse ilid. By is a large cloyster :
the fratiy and infirmitori be now mere ruines. The caemeteri
wherin the counteri about doth buri is veri large and meanely
waullid with stoone. In it be xxxix great hue trees : the vase court
or camp afore the abbay is veri fair and large."
But this same ingenious author has committed a great biographi-
cal error, in confounding the names of Rhys ap Theodor, with
Rhys ap Gruffydh.— He says, in his Collectanea, " Rhesus films
Theodori Princeps South Walliae primus fundator." Now the Welsh
Chronicle informs us, that Rhys ap Tewdor was slain A. D. 1090,
in battle near Brecknock, at the advanced age of ninety-eight years;
and the authentic charter before cited, clearly proves that the
abbey of Strata Florida was founded by Rhys ap Gruffydh, and not
till seventy years after the death of Rhys ap Tewdor.
Another learned antiquarian (Camden) has erroneously styled
the monks of this abbey, Cluniacs instead of Cistercians. Richard
Talley was the last abbot, and in the year 1553, enjoyed a pension
of forty pounds a year.
This monastery is situated in the wildest part of Cardiganshire,
surrounded on three sides by a lofty range of those mountains,
called by our author Ellennith ; a spot admirably suited to the
severe and recluse order of the Cistercians. But wild and desolate
as its present appearance may seem, how much more so must it
have been in former times, when King Edward, for the better secu-
rity of his subjects from the dangers they were likely to incur in
these solitary districts, ordered the highways to be repaired, and
the surrounding woods to be cut down. It was held in such high
esteem and veneration, that many of the Welsh princes and nobles
[69]
fixed upon it as their place of burial, amongst whom the following
are recorded in the Welsh Chronicle.
" A. D. 1176 This yere died Cadelh, the son of Gruffyth ap
Rees, and brother to the Lord Rees, after long sicknesse, and was
buried honorablie at Stratflur.
" A. D, 1 191. Owen sonne of Rees, Prince of South Wales, died
at Stratflur.
"A. D. 1202. GrufFyth, eldest son of Prince Rees, died upon
Saint James's daie, and was buried at Stratflur with great solemnitie.
This GrufFyth was a wise and discreet gentleman, and one that was
like to bring all South Wales to good order and obedience, who in
all things followed his father's steppes, whom as he succeeded in
government, so he did in all martiall prowes and nobilitie of mind,
but cruell fortune, which frowned upon that countrie, suffered him
not long to enjoy his land.
" A. D. 1204. Howel, the sonne of Prince Rees, being blind, was
slaine at Cemaes, by his brother Maelgon's men, and buried by his
brother GrufFyth at Stratflur.
" A. D. 1221. Young Rees, sonne to GrufFyth ap Rees, departed
out of this world, being a lustie gentleman, and endued with manie
notable vertues, and was buried at Stratflur.
A. D. 1230. Maelgon, sonne to Prince Rees, died and was buried
at Stratflur.
A. D. 1235. Owen, sonne to GrufFyth ap Rees, being a noble
gentleman, and verie well beloved, died, and was buried by his
brother Rees at Stratflur.
A. D. 1237. Lhewelyn, Prince of Wales, called all the lords and
barons of Wales before him to Stratflur, and there everie one of
[70]
them swore to be faithful subjects, and did homage to David
Lhewelyn's sonne."
In this abbey were also deposited the national records from the
earliest period, of which Dr. Powel, in his preface to the Welsh
Chronicle, gives the following account :
" Caradoc of Lancarvan collected the successions and actes of the
Brytish princes, after Cadwalacler, to the year of Christ 1156, of
the which collections there were severall copies afterward kept in
either of the abbeis of Conwey and Stratflur, which were yearelie
augmented as things fell out, and conferred together ordinarilie
every third yeare, when the Beirdh which did belong to those two
abbcis, went from the one to the other in the time of their Clera,
wherein were contained besides, such notable occurrences hapnirig
within the ile of Brytaiue, as they then thought worthie the writing;
which order of registring and noting continued in those abbeis until
the yeare 1270, which was a little before the death of the last
Lhcwclyn, who was slaine at Buelt."
But of this once revered sanctuary, the repository of the interest-
ing and authentic annals of the British nation, and the sacred mau
solemn of its brave and valiant princes, one rich Saxon arch alone
remains ; its design and ornaments (unlike any I have yet seen) suffi-
i
ciently testify its ancient grandeur: its situation is very unfavourable
for the draftsman, being closely confined within the garden of a
farm house, and having no picturesque concomitant scenery: a few
ensuing years will probably complete its downfall, and the travel-
ler, who once viewed with rapture this fine relict of architectural
and monastic antiquity, will have sad reason to exclaim — " Etiam
perkre ruinae!"
• *- , _ , | r . . .
STRAT F1LU
L " ]
Leaving Stratflur, the Archbishop and his train returned to Lan-
dewi Brevi, and from thence proceeded to Lanpadarn Vawr. It
ought to be observed, that an unusual deviation was here made
from the direct road to the latter place, by returning to Landewi
Brevi, which, on the preceding day, they must have passed, on
their journey from Pont-Stephen to Stratflur. This deviation may
have taken place out of compliment to one of their reverend and
steady adherents, the Abbot of Stratflur, or our travellers perhaps,
not overlooking the comforts of life, were aware of better accommo-
dations in the richly endowed monastery of Stratflur, than in the
meagre chantery of Brevi. The large tract of mountains, which
almost inclose the vale of the Teivi, bore the name of Ellennith,b and
were called by the English Moruge. As, after a long and minute
inquiry amongst the natives of these parts, I cannot find any mo-
dern or ancient name attached to these hills, which at all corre-
sponds with the word in question ; I am inclined to think, that the
word. Moruge is only a corruption from Moors, or Moorish, for such
is the nature of these mountains. Leland says, " The pastures of
the montaynes of Cardiganshire be so great, that the hunderith part
of it rottith on the ground, and maketh sogges and quikke More by
long continuaunce for lack of eting of hit."
Landewi Brevi — This village is situated near the southern banks
of the river Teivi, and opposite Llanio-isau, where there are evident
remains of the Roman city of Loventium. It has been much cele-
brated by ecclesiastical writers, on account of the miracle performed
there in honour of Saint David.
b Ellennith should be written Maelienydd, for these mountains are still so called in
old writings; and I have before mentioned a cantref in Radnorshire, on the other side
of these mountains, called Maelyenidd.
[ 72]
The heresy of the Pelagians,1 which had been happily extinguished
by Germanus Bishop of Auxerre, and Lupus, Bishop of Troyes,
beginning to revive; a British synod was assembled at Brevi, in
the year 519, at which there was a most numerous assemblage of
bishops, abbots, nobility, and laity ; many of whom, equally illus-
trious for learning and sanctity, having unsuccessfully endeavoured,
by their sermons and exhortations, to refute the doctrines of this
sect; Paulinus, a bishop, with whom David had in his youth
studied the liberal sciences, earnestly advised the fathers there pre-
sent, to send, in the name of the synod, a deputation to David,
exhorting him to afford his presence and assistance towards the ex-
• *
lirpation of this heresy. Two holy bishops of high authority, Daniel
and Dubricius, undertook the embassy, and prevailed upon David
to return with them to Brevi. I shall recount the miracle that
followed, in the words of the historian Cressy.
" When all the fathers assembled enjoined David to preach, he
commanded a child which attended him, and had lately been
' The new heresy of Pelagianism, which began to infect the world in the beginning
of the fifth century, was introduced by Pelagius, by birth a Briton, for which cause
S. Augustin gives him the name of Brito, and S. Prosper more expressly calls him the
British Serpent; he has been represented by another ancient writer (Isidor), as a vain
straggling monk, incorrigible, one who wandered from monastery to monastery smell-
ing out feasts, and fawning on magistrates for their good cheer.
The special points of his heresy are thus set down by Sigebertus. " In Brittany,"
saith he, " Pelagius endeavoured to defile the church of Christ with his execrable doc-
trines; teaching that man may be saved by his merits without grace; that every one
is directed by his own natural free-will to the attaining of justice ; that infants are
born without original sin, being as innocent as Adam was before his transgression;
that they are baptized, not to the end they should be free from sin, but that they may, by
adoption, be admitted into the kingdom of God. And though they were not baptized,
yet they should enjoy an eternal and happy life, though excluded from the kingdom
of God." Cressy, p. 164.
[73]
restored to life by him, to spread a napkin under his feet, and stand-
ing upon it, he began to expound the gospel and the law to the
auditory : all the while that this oration continued, a snow-white
dove descending from heaven, sate upon his shoulders, and more-
over the earth on which he stood raised itself under him till it
became a hill, from whence his voice, like a trumpet, was clearly
heard and understood by all, both near and far off, on the top of
which hill, a church was afterwards built, and remains to this day."
This church is situated on a gentle eminence, backed by high
mountains, and surrounded by the most miserable hovels I ever
beheld. Though a large and spacious building, it corresponds with
the village in miseiy and desolation. Four lofty Gothic arches,
supporting a square massive turret, bespeak its ancient grandeur ;
it can boast of no roof, but its beams and rafters ; and of no pave-
ment but the native soil : in short, the appearance of this once
revered sanctuary is truly melancholy. Two of the inscribed
stones, mentioned by Gamden, still exist ; the one standing upright
close to the western door-way, appeared to me unintelligible : the
other serves as a head-stone to a little window adjoining the pulpit,
and bears this inscription : " me JACET IDNERT FILIUS JACOBI QUI
occisus FUIT PROPTER PREDAM sANCTi DAVID." Another stone, made
use of as a stile at the east end of the churchyard, is inscribed with
old and rude characters, which I could not decipher. A college for
a precentor and twelve prebendaries was founded here, by Thomas
Beck Bishop of Saint David's, in the year 1287, in honour of Saint
David (who preached at the council held at Brevi A. D. 519, and
thereby put an end to the Pelagian heresy), but recommended to
the patronage of King Edward the Confessor. Leland says, " it was
VOL. II. L
[74]
called Brevi bycause it stondith on Brevi brooke :" its signification,
therefore, is the church of David on the brook of Brevi. The same
historian adds : " Landewi Brevi is but a simple or poore village.
I passid over a litle broke to entre into hit ; it is set among mon-
taines on every side but west, where is the valley of Tive. Tive
river is about half a mile off: the collegiate chirch of prebendaries
stondith surmvhat upon a hy ground, but it is rude."
From Browne Willis, we learn that David Roberts, David ap Liu,
and Thomas Edwards, vicars choral, subscribed to the supremacy,
4th August, 1534, and that in 1553, there remained in charge three
pensions. To Thomas Derham £6. to Reginald Williams £8. 6s. 8d.
and to Morgan Jenkins £\3. 6.9. 8d. incumbent of this late college.
In the year 1188, no greater ecclesiastical establishment existed
probably at Landewi Brevi, than a simple church or chapel, com-
memorating the successful preaching of Saint David ; and as Giral-
dus makes no mention of their having preached there, we may
conclude that devotion and respect for the hallowed spot, alone
induced them to pass through it on their road from Stratflur to
Lanpadarn.
Lhanpadarn Vawr — The church of Saint Paternus the Great,d is
d Padarn was the son of Pedredin ab Emyr Llydaw, and the cousin of Cadvan, with
whom he came into Britain, and was first of all in the college of Jlltyd, where he was
dignified a bishop. He removed from thence, and founded a congregation in Cere-
digion, at a place thence called Llanbadarn Vawr, consisting of one hundred and
twenty members, where he had the title of archbishop. He was one of the most dis-
tinguished saints of Britain, and several churches were dedicated to him. He was
ranked with Dewi and Teilo, under the appellation of " the three blessed visitors," for
they went about preaching the faith to all degrees of people, not only without reward,
but with alleviating the distresses of the poor, as far as their means extended. Cam-
brian Biography, p. 278.
[ 75 ]
situated in a valley, at a short distance from the sea-port town of
Aberystwyth in Cardiganshire. It derived its name from Paternus,
a distinguished saint in the British history, of whom Cressy and
Archbishop Usher give the following account : — " The sanctity of
St. Dubricius and St. David, drew into Brittany, from foreign parts,
Saint Paternus, a devout young man, about the year 516, together
with 847 monks, who accompanied him: these fixed themselves in
a place called Mauritania,' and there St. Paternus built a church
and monastery, in which he placed the monks under an economus,
a provost, and a dean : this monastery seems to have sent abroad
many colonies of religious men into the province, for we find that
this saint built monasteries and churches through all the region
called Ceretica, now Cardiganshire. The church he erected in
Mauritania was raised to the dignity of an episcopal see, which he
governed for one and twenty years, and was from him called Pater-
nensis: he was recalled by Prince Caradoc into his own native
country of Lesser Britany, where he was made bishop of the church
of Vannes, having left Kinoc as successor to his former bishopric."
The Bishop of Lhanpadarn attended at the synod held in Wor-
cestershire, A. D. 603 ; and this place seems to have enjoyed its
episcopal honours till the people killed their bishop, when the
diocese was united to the see of Saint David's. Camden suggests
the probability of this bishop's name being Idnerth, or Idnert, and
perhaps the same person commemorated in the sepulchral inscrip-
tion existing at Landewi Brevi.
In the year 1111, Gilbert, son of Richard de Clare, gave to the
• As I cannot find that the word Mauritania alludes to the name of any place near
Lhanpadarn, I suppose it a corruption from the British.
[ 76]
church of Saint Peter at Gloucester, the lands and church of Saint
Paternus in Wales. " Anno Domini MCXI, Gilbertus films Ricardi,
unus de prascipuis Angliae principibus, dedit ecclesiae Sancti Petri
Glouc : terram et ecclesiam Sancti Paterni in Wallia, et omnia quae
ad earn pertinent, inter divisiones maris, et duarum aquarum, et
medietatem magnae piscaturae quam fecit, fcc. fcc." It appears, how-
ever, that its ecclesiastical establishment existed in 1136, for the
Welsh Chronicle tells us, " That about that time, John Archdeacon
of Lanpadarn, departed this life, who, for his rigid zeal in religion
and virtue, was thought worthy to be canonized," and adds, " That
in the year 1 144, died Sulien ap Rythmarch, a man of great know-
ledge, one of the college of Lhanpadarn." In the time of Giraldus,
it was governed by a lay abbot ; and in later times, it was appro-
priated to the abbey of Vale Royal in Cheshire : this church, toge-
ther with its precincts, enjoyed the privilege of a sanctuary, which
in the year 1116 Gruffydh ap Rhys violated. ,
The church of Lhanpadarn Vawr is large, of early Gothic archi-
tecture, and in its massive square tower, and lofty arches, which
support it. resembles the church at Landewi Brevi. The southern
portal is light and elegant in its proportions. On this side of the
churchyard is an old cross decorated with fret-work, knots, kc.
similar to those at Nevern, and other places in Wales.
[77 ]
CHAPTER V.
DEVI RIVER— LAND OF THE SONS OF CONAN.
APPROACHING to the river Devi,1 which divides North and South
Wales, the Bishop of St. David's, and Rhys, the son of Gruffydh, who
with a liberality peculiarly praise-worthy in so illustrious a prince,
had accompanied us from the castle of Aberteivi throughout all
Cardiganshire to this place, returned home; having crossed the
river in a boat, and quitted the diocese of Saint David's, we entered
the land of the sons of Conan, or Merionyth, the first province of
Venedotia on that side of the country, and belonging to the bishop-
ric of Bangor. We slept that night at Towyn. Early next morning,
Gruffydh, son of Conan, came to meet us, humbly and devoutly
asking pardon for having so long delayed his attention to the Arch-
bishop. On the same day, we ferried over the river Maw,* where
Malgo, son of Rhys, who had attached himself to the Archbishop,
as a companion to the king's court, discovered a ford near the sea.
That night, we lay at Lanvair,1 that is the church of Saint Mary, in
1 This river is now called Dovy.
* The epithet " bifurcus," ascribed by Giraldus to the river Maw, alludes to its two
branches, which unite their streams a little way below Llaneltid bridge, and form an
ajstuary, which flows down to the sea at Barmouth, or Aber Maw. The ford at this
place, discovered by Malgo, no longer exists.
1 Lanvair is a small village, about a mile and a half from Harlech, with a very
simple church, placed in a retired spot, backed by precipitate mountains. Here the
[ 78 ]
the province of Ardudwy.4 This territory of Conan, and particu-
larly Merionyth, is the rudest and roughest district of all Wales ;
the ridges of its mountains are very high and narrow, terminating
in sharp peaks, and so irregularly jumbled together, that if the
shepherds conversing or disputing with each other, from their sum-
mits, should agree to meet, they could scarcely effect their purpose
in the course of the whole day. The lances of this country are
very long ; for as South Wales excells in the use of the bow, so
North Wales is distinguished for its skill in the lance ; insomuch
that an iron coat of mail will not resist the stroke of a lance thrown
at a small distance. The next morning Meredyth, the youngest son
of Conan, met us at the passage of a bridge, attended by his people,
where several persons were signed with the cross ; amongst whom
was a fine young man of his suite, and one of his intimate friends :
Meredyth observing that the cloak, on which the cross was to be
sewed, appeared of too thin and of too common a texture, with a
flood of tears, threw him down his own.
Archbishop and Giraldus slept, on their journey from Towyn to Nevyn, and I hope,
for their sukes, Lanvair presented a more respectable appearance in 1188, than it did
to me in 1804.
Ardudwy was a comot of the cantref Dunodic in Merionethshire, and according
to Leland, " Streccith from half Trait Mawr to Abermaw on the shore xn myles." The
bridge here alluded to, was probably over the river Artro, which forms a small aestuary
near the village of Lanbedr.
[ 79]
ANNOTATIONS ON CHAPTER V.
FROM Lhanpadarn our travellers directed their course towards the
sea-coast, and ferrying over the river Dovy, which separates North
from South Wales, proceeded to Towyn, a village in Merioneth-
shire, where they passed the night. Various have been the deriva-
tions given to the name of this country; some have deduced its
name from Meirion, the son of Tibion ab Cunedda, a chieftain who
lived in the middle of the fifth century. His father was slain when
fighting with his brothers against the Irish, who had established
themselves in several parts of the coasts of Wales, whereupon
Meirion had the cantref of Meirionydd, and was acknowledged by
the people of that district as their lord, in reward for his services
in driving the Irish out of the country. Others say, that this
province was called Mervinia, from Merfyn Frych, the father of
Roderic the Great ; and under this title Leland mentions it in his
Genethliacon :
" Porrigitur vasto fluvii trans ostia Devi
Tractu terra potens hastis Mervinia longis."
Towyn, now called Towyn Merioneth, is a small town built in a
bad and unhealthy situation, flanked on one side by a turbary and
marsh, and distant about a mile from the sea-shore, where there is
a large extent of hard and level sands. A sulphureous pool near
the town, is much resorted to by the neighbourhood. I was
[ 80 ]
disappointed in not finding some relicts of antiquity, mentioned by
Mr. Pennant, as existing formerly at this place. The ancient cross,
with an inscription, has been removed to a house in the neighbour-
hood : it is said to have been erected to the memory of King Cad-
van, who was considered as the tutelar saint of warriors, and to
whom the church of Towyn was dedicated. On the left side of the
altar in the parish church are two recesses, in one of which is the
effigy of an ecclesiastic, and in the other, according to report, is that
of a chieftain, now immured within the wall of the pew which stands
before it.
The province of Merionyth was at this period occupied by David,
the son of Owen Gwynedh, who had seized it forcibly from its
rightful inheritor. The family of Conan, who bore rule in North
Wales for so many years, descended from lago, or James, son of
Edwal, who after the death of Lhewelyn ap Sitsylht, in 1020, suc-
ceeded to the principality of North Wales: he died in 1037, and
left a son named Conan, who though heir to the throne, never
obtained it : but his son, Gruffyth ap Conan, after the defeat and
death of Trahaern ap Caradoc, A. D. 1078, on the mountains of
Carno, regained his inheritance, and maintained it quietly for the
long term of fifty-nine years. After his death, in 1137, his sons,
according to the Welsh custom, divided his lands betwixt them,
and the principality of North Wales fell to the lot of Owen Gwynedh,
the eldest son of the late prince, who enjoyed it for the space of
thirty-two years. On his death, in 1 169, dissensions arose amongst
his children respecting the succession:—" Edward, or lorwerth
Drwyndwn, the eldest soune borne in matrimonie was counted un-
meete to govenie, because of the maime upon his face ; and Howel,
[81 ]
who tooke upon him all the rule was a base sonne, begotten upon an
Irish woman. Therefore David gathered all the power he could,
and came against Howel, and fighting with him slew him, and after-
wards enjoied quietlie the whole of North Wales, untill his brother
lorwerth's son (Lhewelyn) came to age, and recovered his rightful
inheritance.
Gruffydh — Was son to Conan ap Owen Gwynedh : he died A. D.
1200, and was buried in a monk's cowle, at the abbey of Conwy,
and so were all the nobles (for the most part) of that time buried ;
for they were made to beleeve by the monks and friers, that that
strange weed was a sure defense betwixt their soules and hell, how-
soever they died. And all this baggage and superstition received
they with monks and friers a few yeres before that out of England."
Powel, p. 253.
VOL. H. M
[82]
CHAPTER VI.
TRAETH MAWR— TRAETH BACHAN— NEVYN— CARNARVON— BANGOR.
WE continued our journey over the Traeth Mawr1 and Traeth
Bachan,-* that is, the greater and the smaller arm of the sea, where
two stone castles have newly been erected ; one called Deudraeth,
belonging to the sons of Conan, situated in Evionyth towards the
northern mountains ; the other named Cam Madryn, the property
of the sons of Owen, built on the other side of the river towards
the sea on the head-land Lhyn.3 Traeth, in the Welsh language,
signifies a tract of sand flooded by the tides, and left bare when
the sea ebbs. We had passed over before many noted rivers, the
1 1 lie Traeth Mawr, or the large sands, are occasioned by a variety of springs and
rivers which flow from the Snowdon mountains, and uniting their streams, form an
aestuary below Pont Aberglaslyn.
1 The Traeth Bychan, or the small sands, are chiefly formed by the river which runs
down the beautiful vale of Festiniog to Maentwrog and Tan y bwlch, near which place
it becomes navigable.
Over each of these sands the road leads from Merionyth into Caernarvonshire : a
large tract of land has lately been recovered from the sea, on the northern borders of
the Traeth Mawr, and a public road is now making on that side, by which a safe com-
munication will be opened to Pwlheli and Nevyn, and the dangerous and uncertain
passage of the sands avoided.
' Lhyn, the Canganorum promontorium of Ptolemy, was an extensive hundred con-
taining three comots, and comprehending that long neck of land between Caernarvon
and Cardigan bays. Leland says, « Al Lene is as it were a pointe into the se."
• [ 83 ]
Dissenith,* between the Maw and Traeth Mawr, and the Arthro,
between the Traeth Mawr and Traeth Bachan. We slept that
night at Nevyn, on the eve of Palm Sunday, where the Archdea-
con, after long inquiry and research, is said to have found Merlin
Sylvestris.
Beyond Lhyn, there is a small island inhabited by religious
monks, called Caelibes, or Colidei. This island, either from the
wholesomeness of its climate, owing to its vicinity to Ireland, or
rather from some miracle obtained by the merits of the saints, has
this wonderful peculiarity, that the oldest people die first, because
diseases are uncommon, and scarcely any die except from extreme
old age. Its name is Enhli in the Welsh, and Berdesey in the
Saxon language ; and many bodies of saints are said to be buried
there, and amongst them that of Daniel Bishop of Bangor.
The Archbishop having, by his sermon the next day, induced
many persons to take the cross, we proceeded towards Bangor,
passing through Caernarvon, that is, the castle of Arvon ; it is
called Arvon, the province opposite to Mon, because it is so situated
with respect to the island of Mona. Our road leading us to a steep
valley,' with many broken ascents and descents, we dismounted
* In mentioning the rivers which the crusaders had lately crossed, our author has
been guilty of a great topographical error in placing the river Dissennith between the
Maw and Traeth Mawr, as also in placing the Arthro between the Traeth Mawr and
Traeth Bychan : their true situations are delineated on the map.
1 I searched in vain for a valley which would answer the description here given by
Giraldus, and the scene of so much pleasantry to the crusaders ; for neither do the
old or new road, from Caernarvon to Bangor, in any way correspond : but I have since
been informed, that there is a valley called Nant y Garth (near the residence of Ashton
Smith, Esq. at Vaenol) which terminates at about half a mile's distance from the Menai,
.ind therefore not observable from the road ; it is a serpentine ravine of more than a
[84 ]
from our horses, and proceeded on foot, rehearsing, as it were by
agreement, some experiments of our intended pilgrimage to Jeru-
salem. Having traversed the valley, and reached the opposite side
with considerable fatigue, the Archbishop, to rest himself and reco-
ver his breath, sat down on an oak which had been torn up by the
violence of the winds ; and relaxing into a pleasantry highly laud-
able in a person of his approved gravity, thus addressed his atten-
dants : " Who amongst you, in this company, can now delight our
wearied ears by whistling?" which is not easily done by people
out of breath. On affirming that he could, if he thought fit ; the
sweet notes are heard in an adjoining wood, of a bird which some
call a wood-pecker, and others, with greater propriety, an aureolus.
The wood-pecker is called in French Pic, and, with its strong bill
perforates oak trees: the other bird is called aureolus, from the
golden tints of its feathers, and at certain seasons utters a sweet
whistling note, instead of a song.8 Some persons having remarked,
that the nightingale was never heard in this country, the Arch-
bishop, with a significant smile, replied, " The nightingale followed
wise counsel, and never came into Wales ; but we, unwise counsel,
who have penetrated and gone through it." We remained that
night at Bangor, the metropolitan see of North Wales, and were
well entertained by the bishop of the diocese.7 On the next day,
mile, in a direction towards the mountains, and probably that which the crusaders
crossed on their journey to Bangor.
I have not been able to ascertain the bird here alluded to by our author under the
title of aureolus.
7 Guianus, or Guy Ruffus, Dean of Waltham in Essex, and consecrated to this see,
at Ambresbury, Wilts, in May 1177. In the year 1188, he attended Baldwin in his
progress through Wales, and died about two years afterwards.
[85 ]
mass being celebrated by the Archbishop before the high altar, the
bishop of that see, at the instance of the Archbishop and other per-
sons, more importunate than persuasive, was compelled to take the
cross, to the general concern of all his people, who expressed their
grief on this occasion, by loud and lamentable vociferations.
ANNOTATIONS ON CHAPTER VI.
IN journeying from Lanvair to the Traeth Mawr, our crusaders
must have passed either through or very near the town of Harlech ;
and as it remains unnoticed by Giraldus, I should imagine that no
fortress of any consequence existed there at the period of Baldwin's
progress through Wales. Mr. Pennant says, " That an ancient for-
tress at this place bore the name of Twr Bronwen, from Bronwen, or
the white-necked, sister to Bran ap Llyr, King of Britain. In after
times, it got the name of Caer Collwyn, from Collwyn ap Tango,
who lived there in the time of Prince Anarawd, about the year 877,
and was lord of Efionydd, Ardudwy, and part of Llyn. He resided
some time in a square tower of the ancient fortress, whose remains
are very apparent, as are part of the old walls, which the more
modern, in certain places, are seen to rest upon." Its present name
of Harddlech, or Harlech, is derived from hardd, towering or bold,
and llech, a rock, and is truly applicable to its situation. The pre-
sent stately castle, seated on a high and bold projecting rock, is
supposed to owe its foundation to the same royal hand that erected
[86]
the magnificent fortresses of Conwy, Caernarvon, and Beaumaris.
In the year 1283, Hugh de Wlonkeslow received the annual salary
of one hundred pounds, as constable of the castle. When England
was embroiled in the civil wars, David ap Jevan,' ap Eineon, a
British nobleman, who sided with the house of Lancaster, defended
this castle stoutly against Edward the Fourth, until William Her-
bert ' Earl of Pembroke, forcing his way, with incredible difficulty,
through the British Alps, attacked it with so much vigour, that it
was surrendered into his hands. The rugged track, by which his
army marched to the siege, is said to have retained the name of
8 This governor being summoned to surrender, sent an answer to the following effect :
" That he had held out a castle in France till all the old women in Wales talked of
him, and he would defend his Welsh castle till all the old women in France should
hear of it."
9 In the history of the Gwedir family, by Sir John Wynne, it is recorded, " That
King Edward the Fourth sent William Earl of Pembroke, with a great army, to waste
the mountuine countreys of Carnarvon and Merioneth-shires, and take the castle of
Hardlech (held then by David ap Jcvan ap Einion), for the two earls, Henry Earl of
Richmond, and Jasper Earl of Pembroke, which earl did execute his charges to the
full, as witnesseth this Welsh rhyme :
Hardlech a Dinbech pob dor
Yn Cunnev,
Nanconway yn farwor,
Mil a phedwarcant mae Jor
A thrugain ag wyth rhagor.
In Hardlech and Dinbech every house
Was basely set on fire.
But poor Nantconway suffered more,
For there the flames burnt higher:
Twas in the year of our Lord
Fourteen hundred sixty-eight,
That these unhappy towns of Wales
Met with such wretched fate."
[ 87 ]
Lhe Herbert, or Herbert's way. Previous to this time, it appears
(by Leland) to have been in the possession of Sir Richard Tunstal :
" Thus Edwarde possessed al England and Wales, save Harlake that
Syr Richarde Tunstal kept, but after gotten by the Lord Herbert."
In the year 1460 Queen Margaret found refuge in this castle after
the battle of Northampton ; and having frequently changed masters
during the last civil wars, it was finally taken in 1647 by General
Mytton, and surrendered on articles. It is said to have been the last
castle in North Wales which held out for the king, and to have been
the last in England which held out for the House of Lancaster.
Deudraeth, Carn Madryn — Our Author makes mention of these
two castles, one in Evionyth, or Caernarvonshire, towards the
northern mountains, versus montana borealia, called Deudraeth,
and the other on the headland of Lhyn, named Carn Madryn. I
have not been able, either by personal researches, or by inquiry
amongst the natives, to gain any information respecting the castle
named Deudraeth, which in the Welsh language implies a place be-
twixt the two sands. There is a promontory between the Traeth
Mawr and the Traeth Bychan, called Pentyr Deudraeth, or a pro-
montory between two tracts of sand ; but I could gain no intelligence
of any ancient fortress being visible on that spot. Leland, speaking
of this place, says, " Bytwyxt Traethmaure and Traeth Vehan, a
mile thorough a point of wood caullid Penryn Duetith, as yn the
myddle, rennith at low water thorough the Traeth Maur Warth,
Glesse-Llinne water, and dividith Henionith of Caerarvonshir from
Merionithshire. Al Penrine pointe is in Merionithshire." Itin.
Tom. V. p. 52.
The river descending from the mountains under Pont Aber-
[ 88]
glaslyn and the Traeth Mawr, seems to have formed the ancient
boundary between the comots of Ardudwy and Evionyth.k
The other castle, Cam Madryn, is well known both by name and
position, and still retains many marks of its high antiquity : it
stands on a lofty insulated hill, rising immediately above the well-
wooded grounds of Mr. Parry at Madryn Ucha. The accurate and
intelligent historian of North Wales thus describes it :' — " Carn Ma-
dryn, a lofty, rocky, insulated hill, noted for having been a strong
hold of the sons of Owen Gwynedd, Roderic, and Maelgwn, to whom
this part of the country belonged. The bottom, sides, and top are filled
with cells,™ oblong, oval, or circular, once thatched or covered from
the inclemency of the weather, many of which are pretty entire. The
chieftains resided at the top ; the peasants, with the cattle, in times
of invasion, occupied the sides and bottom. The whole summit
was surrounded with a wall, still visible in many places. From the
summit is an extensive view of the country, with the bay of Caernar-
von on one side, and that of Cardigan on the other : Sarn Badrig is
seen extending from Meireonneddshire its dangerous length, nearly
parallel to the shore of Lhein. South Wales may be seen plainly,
k " Hintonith Commote streccith onto Traitmaure, where Abreglaslynne devidith;
so that but parte of Traithmaur is yn it : (Leland Itin. Tom. V. p. 42.) If, therefore,
the castle of Deudraeth was on the promontory of that name, it could not have been
(as represented by Giraldus) in Evionyth; but as he mentions its situation towards the
northern mountains, « versus montana borealia," I am inclined to think its position
was nearer to Snowdon.
1 See Pennant's Tour, Tom. II. p. 194.
n In examining the various British fortifications with which the summits of the hills
in Wales are frequently crowned, I have observed several of these cells excavated in
the rocks; they are vulgarly called Cytiau y Gwyddelod, i. e. the Cots of the Wild
Men ; and are probably the habitations or places of safety resorted to by the early
inhabitants of this country.
[89]
and in clear weather, Ireland; and in front the whole tract of
Snowdonia exhibits a most magnificent and stupendous barrier.
Nevyn — A miserable village, situated on an eminence at a short
distance from the western coast of Caernarvon Bay, containing (in
these our modern days) no one object worthy of note, yet in former
times it was honoured with a royal visit, and a magnificent tour-
nament.
A. D. 1284, King Edward the First having completed the con-
quest of Wales, either to shew his magnificence, gratify his knights
who had served him in that conquest, or to entertain his new sub-
jects with a spectacle unknown in their country, held a tournament
at Nevyn, a town in Caernarvonshire, lying on the Irish Channel.
It was of a kind called the Round Table, either from the knights
dining at such a table, or from its being held in a place encircled
by a strong wall of a round figure. Tables of that form had been in
constant use among the ancient Gauls and Britons, which served to
give rise or countenance to the story of the famous Arthur's round
table ; and the king, perhaps, thought it not amiss to shew the Welsh
that he was not inferior to that renowned British hero, either in
valour or magnificence: An infinite number of knights, as well
foreigners as English, came from all parts to share in this military
diversion, and in those marks of honour which were distributed on
such occasions with a bounty truly royal, by a prince who knew
how to distinguish merit, and always exercised his judgment, when
he displayed his munificence " If the new projected road to Ireland
through this part of Wales succeeds, and packet-boats are estab-
lished at the fine and commodious harbour of Porth-dyn-lleyn,
n Carte History of England, Tom. II. p. 197.
VOL. II. N
[90]
Nevyn may again see better days, and once more flourish in trade
and opulence.
Merlyn Sylvestris — To two personages of this name the gift of
prophecy was anciently attributed: one was called Ambrosius,
the other Sylvestris : the latter here mentioned, (and whose works
Giraldus, after a long research, found at Nevyn), was the son of
Morvryn, and generally called Merddin Wyllt, or Merddin the
Wild : he flourished about the middle of the sixth century, and
ranked with Merddin Emrys and Taliesin, under the appellation of
the three principal Bards of the Isle of Britain. He was born at
Caerwerthevin, near the forest of Celyddon or Dunkell in Scotland,
where he possessed a great estate, which he lost in the war of his
Lord Gwenddolau, the son of Ceidio, and Aeddan vradog, against
Rhydderch Hael. His misfortunes in Scotland drove him into
Wales ; and there is now extant a poetical dialogue between him
and his preceptor Taliesin. He was present at the battle of Camlan
in the year 542, where, fighting under the banner of King Arthur,
he accidentally slew his own nephew, the son of his sister Gwen-
ddydd, in consequence of which calamity he was seized with a
madness which affected him every other hour.
" Awr o'i gov gan Dduw ry gai
Awr yn mhell yr anmhwyllai."
The literal meaning of which is, " An hour of his memory from
God he was wont to have ; an hour succeeding he would be di-
vested of reason."
He fled back into Scotland, and concealed himself amongst the
woods, where, in an interval of recollection, he composed a poem
[91 ]
called the Orchard, which has many beauties, and is strongly tinc-
tured with the enthusiasm of frenzy. He afterwards returned to
North Wales, where he died, and was buried in the Isle of
Bardsey.0
Berdesey — I feel less regret in not having been able to visit this
island, as Mr. Pennant has given so very accurate a description of
it : — " From the port of Aberdaron, I took boat for Bardseye Island,
which lies about three leagues to the west. The mariners seemed
tinctured with the piety of the place, for they had not rowed far,
but they made a full stop, pulled off their hats, and offered up a
short prayer. After doubling a head land, the island appears full
in view; we passed under the lofty mountain which forms one
side ; after doubling the further end, we put into a little sandy
creek, bounded by low rocks, as is the whole level part. On land-
ing, I found all this tract a very fertile plain, well cultivated, and
productive of every thing which the main land affords. The abbot's
house is a large stone building inhabited by several of the natives ;
not far from it is a singular chapel or oratory, being a long arched
edifice, with an insulated stone-altar near the east end. In this
place one of the inhabitants reads prayers: all other offices are
performed at Aberdaron.
" The island is about two miles in circumference, contains a few
inhabitants, and is rented from Lord Newborough. It was granted
by Edward the Sixth to his uncle Sir Thomas Seymour, and afler
his death to John Earl of Warwick. The late Sir John Wynn pur-
chased it from the late Rev. Dr. Wilson of Newark. This island,
° See Jones's Historical Account of the Welsh Bards, where the poem of the
Orchard is published, both in Welsh and English.
[92]
whose spiritual concerns are at present under the care of a single
rustic, once afforded, during life, an asylum to twenty thousand
saints, and after death, graves to as many of their bodies ; well,
therefore, might it be called Insula Sanctorum, the Isle of Saints ;
but, with Dr. Fuller, I must observe, that it would be much more
facile to find graves in Bardseye for so many saints, than saints for
so many graves. The slaughter of the monks at Bangor, about the
year 607, is supposed to have contributed to the population of this
island, for not only the brethren who escaped, but numbers of other
pious Britons, fled hither to avoid the rage of the Saxons.
"The time in which the religious house was founded is very uncer-
tain ; it probably was before the retreat of Dubricius, for something
of that kind must have occasioned him to give preference to this
place. It certainly was resorted to in very early times, for our ac-
counts say, that it flourished as a convent in the days of Cadwan
King of Britain, coeval with Dubricius. It was an abbey dedicated
to Saint Mary. The house underwent the common fate of others at
the dissolution. Its revenues, according toDugdale, were£".46 Is. 4d.
and, according to Speed, £58. 6s. 2,d. In the year 1553 only £ 1 . 6s. 8d.
remained in charge to the surviving religious of this place."?
Browne Willis, in his account of the see of Bangor, (p. 207,) has
given a list of the bona temporalia abbatis de Bardesey.
This island derived its British name of Enhli from the fierce
current which rages between it and the main land. The Saxons
named it Bardseye, probably from the Bards, who retired hither,
preferring solitude to the company of invading foreigners.
Caernarvon — This ancient city has been recorded by a variety of
f Pennant, Vol. II. p. 196.
[93 ]
names. During the time of the Romans it was called Segontium, or
Caer Seient, the fortress on the river Seient, where the Setantiorum
portus, and the Seteia ^Estuarium of Ptolemy have also been placed.
It has been styled, by Nennius, Caer Custent, or the City of Constan-
tius ; and the historian Matthew of Westminster says, that about
the year 1283 the body of Constantius, father of the Emperor Con-
stantine, was found there, and honourably deposited in the church
by the order of King Edward the First, i
The author of the Life of GrufFydh ap Conan says, that Hugh
Earl of Chester built a castle at this place in Hen Caer Custenni,
i. e. the old city of Constantius. r The name of Caernarvon was
derived from its being situated opposite to Mona, or Anglesey.
Caer-ar-Mon, the fortress over against Mona.
The modern town and seaport, situated very advantageously for
commerce, on the banks of the Menai, owe their rise to King Edward
the First, who, more effectually to secure his conquest of Wales after
the deaths of the unfortunate Prince Lhewelyn and his brother
David, built there a strong and spacious castle, in an apartment
* Apud Caernarvon prope Snowdunam, corpus maximi principis, patris imperatoris
nobilis Constaritini, erat inventum, et rege jubente, in ecclesia honorifice collocatuin."
Matthew Westm. p. 41 1.
' Huic freto (Menai) Segontium urbs superimposita erat, cujtis murorum reliquias
nonnullas vidimus juxta ecclesiolam in S. Publicii honorem constructam. Notnen a
praeterfluente fluvio sumpsit qui etiamnum Seiont appellatur. Hanc urbem Nennius
Caer Custenith, et qui scripsit vitam Gruffini filii Conani prodit Hugonem Cestriae
comitem cast.ru m construxisse in Hean Caer Custenni, i. e. ut vertit Latiuus interpres,
" in antiquu urbe Constantini imperatoris." Authorque est Mattheus Westmonasteri-
ensis, corpus Constantii patris Constantini maximi hie inventum fuisse anno 1283, et
in ecclesia novas urbis honorifice locatum jussu Edwardi Primi, qui ex hujus ruinis eo
tempore Caernarvon urbem paulo superius ita ad rluminis ostium eduxit, ut ab occi_
dente et septentrione aquis alluatur. Quae ut ipsa nomen sumpsit, quod e regione
[94]
of which, called the Eagle Tower, Eleanor his Queen was brought
to bed of a son. It is a grand and imposing object : its massive ar-
chitecture, and want of windows, indicate that strength more than
ornament were consulted in its construction. Over the portal is the
sculptured effigy of its royal founder.
On a gentle eminence above the river Seient, stood the Roman
city of Segontium, of which very evident traces still exist. The area
of the camp, which is of the oblong square form, with rounded
angles (so generally adopted throughout Wales by the Romans in
the construction of their forts), is inclosed by stone walls firmly
cemented together with mortar and brick intermixed ; and is in-
tersected by the turnpike road leading from Caernarvon to Bedge-
lert, leaving the greater part of the area on the south side : in a wall
of a field adjoining the turnpike road is a stone bearing this inscrip-
tion, SVC:5 and in the fields S. E. of the camp, I picked up several
pieces of the fine red glazed Roman pottery. There is a small
square fort, inclosed by stone walls, nearer the river, and superim-
pending its banks.
The parish church of Llanbublic, distant nearly a mile from
Monae insulae objicitur, hoc enim vocabulum denotat. Angusto admodum et fere orbi-
culari mcenium ambitu continetur haec urbccula, sed firmo; castrumque ostendit pul-
cherrimum quod totuin occidentale latus occupat. Privatis aedificiis pro more regionis
satis pulcra, et civium humanitate praedicanda. Edwardum Primum conditorem, et
•Edwardum Secundum ejus filium hie natum, et de Caernarvon cognominatum, qui
primus erat ex Anglico sanguine Wallise Princeps, summae sibi glorias incolae ex-
istimant."
1 This inscribed stone was found in a subterraneous vault near the spot, and
supposing the last letter to have been G, may have alluded to the Roman name of
Segontium.
[95 ]
Caernarvon, contains a handsome tomb, bearing the date of 1593,
but much defaced and injured : according to Mr. Pennant, it was
erected to the memory of a son of Sir William Gruffydh of Pen-
rhyn. One side of the inscription is hidden by the church window,
and the only part I could decipher was DIED THE LAST
OF NOVEMBER 1587. AND MARGRET HIS WIEF DAVGHTER TO IOHN WYNE
AP MREDD ESO/ AND DID BVILD THIS TOMB . 1593 A male and
female figure are here represented in a recumbent posture; the
one habited in armour ; the other has a short ruff round her neck
and wrists ; their heads recline on cushions and mats : the base
of this fine monument is decorated, according to the custom of
the times, with escutcheons of arms, and small figures in bas-
relief.
Bangor — This cathedral church must not be confounded with
the celebrated college of the same name in Flintshire, founded by
Dunod Vawr, son of Pabo, a chieftain, who lived about the begin-
ning of the sixth century, and from him called Bangor Dunod.
The Bangor, i. e. the college, in Caernarvonshire, is properly called
Bangor Deiniol, Bangor Vawr yn Arllechwedh, and Bangor Vawr
uch Conwy. It owes its origin to Deiniol, son of Dunod ap Pabo,
a saint who lived in the early part of the sixth century, and in the
year 525 founded this college at Bangor in Caernarvonshire, over
which he presided as abbot.' But the historian Cressy places the
date of its foundation in 516, and adds, " In the same place Malgo
' He died in the year 554, and was buried in the isle of Enlli, or Bardesey. In the
Triads, Deiniol Wyn of Gwynedd, Catwg, and Madog Movryn, who were three bards,
are called the three holy bachelors of the isle of Britain. There is a church in Cardi-
ganshire, another in Pembrokeshire, and one in Monmouthshire dedicated to him
[ 96 ]
Conan, not long after built a city, which for the beauty of its situa-
tion, he called Ban-cor,u i. e. the high, or conspicuous choir." This
college was afterwards raised to the dignity of a bishopric, and
Daniel was elected the first bishop, about the year 550.
• When Christianity was first established in Britain, it was only iu particular socie-
ties which went by the appellation of Cor, i. e. circle, society, or congregation, distin-
guished after by the names of those teachers who established them. When those Coraw
began to have authority, they came to be called by the name of Bangor, from ban,
high — and cor; that is, the supreme society or college. Thus Bangor Enlli, or Ban-
gor Cadvan, the college in the Isle of Bardsey, was founded by Cadvan, under the
direction of Emyr Llyclaw,*and Einion, son of Owain Danwyn, about the close of the
fifth century. This was one of the most celebrated of the Welsh seminaries of
religion.
1. Cor Dyvrig, or the Society of Dubricius, was the origin of the bishopric of Caer
Llion, established about the year 400.
2. Cor Tathan, established at Caerwent by S. Tathan, son of Amwn Dhu, under the
patronage of Ynyr Gwent, in the beginning of the sixth century.
3. Bangor Garmon, or the College of Garmon, at Llanveithin in Glamorganshire,
founded by Garmon about A. D. 40O.
4. CorTewdws, in Caer Worgorn, or the College founded by the Emperor Theodo-
sius. This was destroyed by the Irish, and afterwards restored by Gannon about A. D.
4fiO ; over which Illtyd presided, and from thence was called Bangor Illtyd, now called
St. Iltutus, or Lantwit Major, and is situated in Glamorganshire.
5. Bangor Catog, founded by St. Catog, under the direction of Garmon, at the
present Llancarvan, Glamorganshire, towards the close of the fifth century. Catog
the Wise formed a collection of British Proverbs and Maxims, which is now printing
in the Archaiology of Wales, and which is extremely curious and valuable.
6. Bangor y Ty Gwyn was founded by Pawl Hen, or Paulinus ; over which he
placed Flewyn and Gredivel, about A D. 480. This afterwards became a monastery,
called in English Whitland Abbey, which was situated a few miles west of Caer-
marthen.
7. Llanbadarn. — There was originally a college founded by Padarn, the son of Pe-
dredin ab Emyr Llydaw, and the cousin of St. Cadvan, with whom he came into
Britain about the close of the fifth century ; and he was first of all in the Bangor or
college of Illtyd (or Illtutus), where he was dignified a bishop : he removed from
thence, and established a congregation at Ceredigion (or Cardiganshire), at a place
[97 ]
There is a wide chasm in the chronological series of bishops after
Daniel ; for the next recorded in church history is Ellodu, or Elbo-
dius, who died A. D. 81 1 :x here again the series is interrupted, for
the next we hear of is Mordaf, who accompanied the celebrated
legislator Howel Dha to Rome in the year 940, where he went to
procure, from the Pope, the ratification of his newly established
code of Welsh laws. The death of this bishop is fixed in 942.7
thence called Llanbadarn Vawr, consisting of 120 members, where he had the title of
archbishop. He was one of the most distinguished of the British saints.
8. In Lleyn was Cor Beuno, or the congregation of Beuno; which he founded
about the close of the sixth century. It came afterwards to be called Bangor Clynog,
or College of Clynog, and lately Clynog Vawr in Arvon.
9, 10. Anglesey. Here were two religious seminaries, Cor Cybi, or congregation of
Cybi, at Holyhead, founded by him about the close of the sixth century; also Cor
Penmon, at Priestholme near Beaumaris, also called Cor Seiriol, founded by Seiriol,
who placed his nephew Einion over it, about the beginning of the sixth century.
11. Bangor Asav, afterwards called Llanelwy by the Welsh, and St. Asaph by the
English, was founded by Asav, under the direction of Cyndeyrn, or Kentigern, in the
former part of the sixth century. It is called Llanelwy, from its situation on the river
Elwy.
12. Bangor Is Coed, also called Bangor Vawr yn Maelor, Bangor Maelor, and
Bangor Dunod, founded by Dunod, son of Pabo, and his sons Deiniol, Cynwyl, and
Gwarthan, in the beginning of the sixth century, upon lands granted by Cyngen, king
of a part of Powys and the Vale Royal. This college never flourished after the massacre
of its members in the bloody battle fought there in 603, when the Britons were defeated
under Brochwel, and by the instigation of Augustine the monk.
* The death of this bishop is mentioned in the Welsh Chronicle, as having happened
in the year 809. " The next yeare died Elbodius, Archbishop of North Wales, before
whose death the sunne was sore eclipsed."
y The Welsh Chronicle says, " that in the year 943 Marclois Bishop of Bangor
died." As the name of no such person occurs in the history of that see, and as a
bishop by the name of Marchluith is recorded amongst the Bishops of LandafF, as
having died in the year 943, I am inclined to think, that the Welsh Chronicle is
wrong in its statement, and that the bishop there mentioned presided over the see of
LandafF, and not of Bangor.
VOL. II. O
[98]
From the year 1092, the series of bishops is regularly continued.
Herveus, surnamed Cruste, was consecrated bishop of the see before
the year 1093, and on account of the ill treatment he had received
from the Welsh, was obliged to quit Bangor, and was afterwards
translated to Ely. A curious bull of Pope Paschal, addressed to
Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, and recommending Herveius
to a bishopric, is printed in the Appendix to Browne Willis's His-
tory of Bangor Cathedral.
Urban Bishop of Landaff is said to have presided over this see
from 1109 to 1119, during the rebuilding of his own cathedral,
which being completed, he resigned the see of Bangor to David, a
Scot, who was consecrated A. D. 1 120. At the request of Urban, he
consented to the removal of the relics of Saint Dubricius from the
Isle of Bardsey, in his diocese, to Landaff.
Maurice, or Meuric, succeeded to David, A. D. 1139, and died
A. D. 1161.
William, Prior of Saint Augustine's monastery at Bristol, was the
next bishop of this see ; he was succeeded by Guy Rufus, called by
our author Cuianus, who died A. D. 1190, when Giraldus Cam-
brensis, Archdeacon of Brecknock, was elected to the vacant bishop-
ric of Bangor; but he refused the dignity thus voluntarily offered
to him.
This cathedral was destroyed by the insurgent Saxons in the year
107 1, and afterwards rebuilt ; for we find that in 1212, King John
invaded the country, forced the bishop (Robert of Shrewsbury)
from before the altar, and obliged him to pay two hundred hawks
for his ransom." In the year 1402, it was burned to the ground by
• At this time the king passing the river of Conwey, encamped there by the river
[99 ]
Owen Glyndwr, and although many bishops contributed by dona-
tions towards the reparation of it, yet nothing effectual was done
till the time of Bishop Dean in 1496, who rebuilt the choir which
had lain in ruins about ninety years : and, on his translation to the
see of Salisbury, left to his successor at Bangor, his valuable crozier
and mitre, on condition that he would finish the works he had
begun: he also recovered many lands that had been unlawfully
alienated from the church.
Bishop Skeffington, consecrated in 1509, built the steeple and
entire body of the church, from the choir downwards to the west
end: he also rebuilt a great part of the episcopal palace, presented
three bells, and ordered a fourth to be procured, and hung up in
the steeple ; these Bishop Bulkeley sacrilegiously sold, and, accord-
ing to vulgar tradition, on going to see them shipped off, was, on
his return homewards, struck with blindness.
Bishop Rowlands, consecrated A. D. 1598, was a considerable
benefactor to the cathedral, by purchasing four bells to replace
those sold by Bishop Bulkeley, and by new roofing the body of
the church.
Bishop Roberts, by his will A. D. 1665, bequeathed £"100. towards
beautifying the choir, with which money the organ was purchased
and erected.
side, and sent part of his armie, with guides of the countrie, to burne Bangor, who
did so, taking Rotpert, the bishop, prisoner, who was afterward ransomed for 200
hawkes. Powel, p. 265.
The Annales Menevenses give the following account of this fact, which they date in
1211. " Episcopum autem Bangornensem quod ad eum (regem) venire noluit in ec-
clesia Bangornensi ad altare in episcopalibus indutum capi percepit, qui data pecuniii
vitam et membra prout melius potuit redemit."
Bishop Lloyd, in the year 1685, procured by act of parliament,
the appropriation of the rectory of Landinam in Montgomeryshire
for the repair of the cathedral, and augmentation of the bishopric ;
he also had the four bells, given by Bishop Rowlands, new cast,
and, at his own charge, added a fifth of larger proportion than the
others.
The chronological series of bishops is continued, by Browne
Willis, to the year 1715, and by Godwin to the year 1737.
This little cathedral is more to be noticed for its beautiful situa-
tion and neat appearance, than for its monumental or architectural
remains ; for it can only boast of the two mutilated effigies of
Bishops Vaughan and Rowlands. Mr. Pennant says, " That beneath
the shrine on the left side of the great altar, was interred the brave
and wise Prince Gruffydh ap Cynan, who died in 1 137." The tomb
of Owen Gwynedh, mentioned in the next chapter by Giraldus,
is placed, by Browne Willis, at the farthest end of the southern
aisle.
v-
CHAPTER VII.
ISLAND OF MONA.
FROM Bangor, we crossed over a small arm of the sea to the island
of Mona, distant from thence about two miles, where Roderic, the
younger son of Owen, attended by nearly all the inhabitants of the
island, and many others from the adjacent countries, came in a
devout manner to meet us. Confession having been made in a place
near the shore, where the surrounding rocks seemed to form a
natural theatre,1 many persons were induced to take the cross, by
1 The spot selected by Baldwin, for addressing the multitude, has in some degree
been elucidated by the anonymous author of the Supplement to Rowland's Mona An-
tiqua : he says, " That from tradition and memorials still retained, we have reasons to
suppose, that they met in an open place in the parish of Landisilio, called Cerrig y
Borth : the inhabitants, by a grateful remembrance, to perpetuate the honour of that
day, called the place where the Archbishop stood, Carreg yr Archjagon, i.e. the
Archbishop's Rock, and where Prince Roderic stood, Maen Roderic, or the stone of
Roderic.
This account is in part corroborated by the following particulars transmitted to me
by Mr. Richard Llwyd of Beaumaris, who, at my request, obligingly made personal
inquiries on the spot respecting the above places.
" Cerrig y Borth being a rough undulating district, could not, for that reason, have
been chosen for addressing a multitude; but adjoining it, there are two eminences
which command a convenient surface for that purpose; one called Maen Rodri (the
stone or rock of Roderic), the property of Owen Williams, Esq. ; and the other called
Carreg lago, belonging to Lord Uxbridge: this last, as now pronounced, means the
rock of St. James; but I have no difficulty in admitting, that Carreg yr Arch lagon
may (by the compression of common undiscrirninating language, and the obliteration
[ 102 ]
the persuasive discourses of the Archbishop, and Alexander,* our in-
terpreter, archdeacon of that place, and of Sisillus, abbot of Stratflur-
Many chosen youths of the family of Roderic were seated on an op-
posite rock, and not one of them could be prevailed upon to take the
cross, although the Archbishop and others most earnestly exhorted
them, but in vain, by an address particularly directed to them. It
came to pass within three days, as if by divine vengeance, that
these young men, with many others, pursued some robbers of that
country ; being discomfited and put to flight, some were slain,
others mortally wounded, and the survivors voluntarily assumed
that cross they had before despised. Roderic also, who a short
time before had incestuously married the daughter of Rhys, related
to him by blood in the third degree ; in order, by the assistance of
that prince, to be better able to defend himself against the sons of
his brothers, whom he had disinherited, not paying attention to
the Avholesome admonitions of the Archbishop on this subject, was
of the event from ignorant minds by the lapse of so many centuries) be contracted
into Carreg lago.
" Cadair yr arch esgob, is now also contracted into Cadair (chair), a seat naturally
formed in the rock, with a rude arch over it, on the road side, which is a rough terrace
over the breast of a rocky and commanding cliff, and the nearest way from the above
eminences to the insulated church of Lantisilio. This word Cadair, though in general
language a chair, yet when applied to exalted situations, means an observatory, as
Cadair Idris, &c. ; but there can, in my opinion, be no doubt that this seat in the
rock is that described by the words Cadair yr Arch Esgob."
* Alexander, who acted as interpreter between the Welsh and English, was Arch-
deacon of Bangor in the year 1 166, during the archicpiscopacy of Becket, and held
the same dignity in 1188, when Baldwin Archbishop of Canterbury visited these
parts, on pretext of inviting the Welsh to undertake the crusade to the Holy Laud,
or, as some think, to deprive the metropolitan church of Saint David's of its juris-
diction.
[ 103 ]
a little while afterwards dispossessed of all his lands by their means :
thus deservedly meeting with disappointment from the very source
from which he expected support. The island of Mona contains
three hundred and forty-three villages, considered equal to three
hundreds. Cantred, a compound word from the British and Irish
languages, is a portion of land equal to one hundred villages.
There are three islands contiguous to Britain, on its different sides,
which are said to be nearly of an equal size. The isle of Wight on
the south, Mona, or Anglesey, on the west, and Mania, or Man, on
the north-west side. The two first are separated from Britain by
narrow channels ; the third is much further removed, lying almost
midway between the counties of Ulster in Ireland, and Galway in
Scotland : the island of Mona is a dry and stoney land, rough and
unpleasant in its appearance, similar in its exterior qualities to the
land of Pebidion,3 near Saint David's, but very different as to its in-
terior value ; for this island is incomparably more fertile in corn
than any other part of Wales : from whence arose the British pro-
verb, " Mon mam Cymbry, Mona mother of Wales ;" and when
the crops have been defective in all other parts of the country, this
island, from the richness of its soil and abundant produce, has been
able to supply all Wales.
As many things within this island are worthy of remark, I shall
not think it superfluous to make mention of some of them. There
is a stone here resembling a human thigh,4 which possesses this
innate virtue, that whatever distance it may be carried, it returns,
3 This hundred contained the comots of Mynyw, or St. David's, and Pencaer.
* I am indebted to Mr. Richard Llwyd, for the following curious document from a
manuscript of the late intelligent Mr. Rowlands, respecting this miraculous stone,
[ 104 ]
of its own accord, the following night, as has often been experienced
by the inhabitants. Hugh Earl of Chester, in the reign of King
Henry the First, having by force occupied this island, and the
adjacent country, heard of the miraculous power of this stone, and
for the purpose of trial, ordered it to be fastened, with strong
iron chains, to one of a larger size, and to be thrown into the sea ;
on the following morning, however, according to custom, it was
found in its original position, on which account the earl issued a
public edict, that no one, from that time, should presume to move
the stone from its place. A countryman also, to try the powers of
this stone, fastened it to his thigh, which immediately became
putrid, and the stone returned to its original situation.
There is in the same island, a stoney hill, not very large or high,
from one side of which if you cry aloud, you will not be heard on
the other ; and it is called (by antiphrasis) the rock of hearers. In
the northern part of Great Britain (Northumberland) so named by
the English, from its situation across the river Humber, there is a
hill of a similar nature, where if a loud horn or trumpet is sounded
on one side, it cannot be heard on the opposite one. There is also
in this island, the church of Saint Tefredaucus/ into which Hugh
called Maen Morddwyd, or the stone of the thigh, which once existed in Llanidan
parish.
" Hie etiam lapis lumbi vulgo Maen Morddwyd, in hujus caemiterii vallo locum sibi
e longo a retro tempore obtinuit exindeque his nuperis annis, quo nescio Papicola vel
qua inscia manu nulla ut olim retinente virtute, quae tune penitus elanguit aut vetus-
tate evaporavit, nullo sane loci dispendio, nee illi qui eripuit emolumento, ereptus et
deportatus fuit."
1 This church is at Llandyfrydog, a small village in Twrkelin hundred, not far dis-
tant from Llanaelian, and about three miles from the bay of Dulas. Saint Tyvrydog,
to whom'it was dedicated, was one of the sons of Arwystyl Glof, a saint who lived in
the latter part of the sixth century.
[ 105 ]
Earl of Shrewsbury (who, together with the Earl of Chester, had
forcibly entered Anglesey), on a certain night put some dogs, which
on the following morning were found mad, and he himself died
within a month ; for some pirates, from the Orcades, having en-
tered the port of the island in their long vessels, the earl apprised
of their approach, boldly met them, rushing into the sea upon a
spirited horse : the commander of the expedition, Magnus, standing
on the prow of the foremost ship, aimed an arrow at him, and
although the earl was completely equipped in a coat of mail, and
guarded in every part of his body, except his eyes, the unlucky
weapon struck his right eye, and, entering his brain, he fell a life-
less corpse into the sea ; the victor seeing him in this state, proudly
and exultingly exclaimed, in the Danish tongue, " Leit loup," let
him leap : and from this time the power of the English ceased in
Anglesey. In our times also, when Henry the Second was leading
an army into North Wales, where he had experienced the ill fortune
of war, in a narrow woody pass near Coleshulle ; he sent a fleet into
Anglesey, and began to plunder the aforesaid church, and other
sacred places ; but the divine vengeance pursued him, for the in-
habitants rushed upon the invaders, few against many, unarmed
against armed, and having slain great numbers, and taken many
prisoners, gained a most complete and bloody victory : for as our
topographical history of Ireland testifies, that the Welsh and Irish
are more prone to anger and revenge, than any other nations ; the
saints likewise of those countries appear to be of a more vindictive
nature.
Two noble persons, and uncles of the author of this book, were
sent thither by the king ; namely, Henry, son of King Henry the
VOL. II. P
L 106 ]
First, and uncle to King Henry the Second, by Nest, daughter of
Rhys Prince of South Wales, and Robert, son of Stephen, brother to
Heniy : a man who in our days, shewing the way to others, first
attacked Ireland, and whose fame is recorded in our prophetic
history. Henry, actuated by too much valour and ill-supported,
was pierced by a lance, and fell amongst the foremost, to the great
concern of his attendants, and Robert despairing of being able to
defend himself, was badly wounded, and escaped with difficulty to
the ships.
There is a small island, almost adjoining to Anglesey, which is
inhabited by hermits, living by manual labour, and serving God.
It is remarkable, tbat when, by the influence of human passions,
any discord arises among them, all their provisions are devoured
and infected by a species of small mice, with which the island
abounds ; but when the discord ceases, they are no longer molested.
Nor is it to be wondered at, if the servants of God sometimes dis-
agree, since Jacob and Esau contended in the womb of Rebecca,
and Paul and Barnabas differed ; the disciples also of Jesus disputed
which of them should be the greatest ; for these are the tempta-
tions of human infirmity ; yet virtue is often made perfect by
infirmity, and faith is increased by tribulations. This island is
called in Welsh, Ynys Lenach, or priest's island, because many
bodies of saints are deposited there, and no woman is suffered to
enter it.
We saw in Anglesey a dog, who accidentally had lost his tail, and
whose whole progeny bore the same defect. It is wonderful, that
nature should, as it were, conform itself in this particular to the
accident of the father. We saw also a soldier, named Earthbald,
[ 107 ]
born in Devonshire, whose father denying the child with which his
mother was pregnant, and from motives of jealousy accusing her of
inconstancy ; nature alone decided the controversy by the birth of
the child, who, by a miracle, exhibited on his upper lip a scar,
similar to one his father bore in consequence of a wound he had
received from a lance in one of his military expeditions. Stephen,
the son of Earthbald, had a similar mark, the accident being in a
manner converted into nature. A like miracle of nature occurred,
in Alberic, son of Alberic Earl of Veer, whose father, during the
pregnancy of his mother, the daughter of Henry of Essex, having
laboured to procure a divorce, on account of the ignominy of her
father ; the child when born, had the same blemish in its eye, as the
father had got from a casual hurt. These defects may be entailed
on the offspring, perhaps by the impression made on the memory
by frequent and steady observation ; as it is reported that a queen,
accustomed to see the picture of a negro in her chamber, unexpect-
edly brought forth a black child ; and is exculpated by Quintilian
on account of the picture. In like manner, it happened to the
spotted sheep, given by Laban out of his flock to his nephew Jacob,
and which conceived by means of variegated rods ;6 nor is the child
always affected by the mother's imagination alone, but sometimes
by that of the father ; for it is well known, that a man seeing a
passenger near him, who was convulsed both behind and before, on
6 " And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel, and of the chesnut
tree, and peeled white strakes in them, and made the white appear which was in the
rods. And he set the rods, which he had peeled, before the flocks in the gutters in the
watering troughs, when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they
came to drink. And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle
speckled and spotted." Genesis, chapter xxx.
[ 108 ]
*
going home and telling his wife, that he could not get the impres-
sion of this sight off his mind, begat a child who was affected in a
similar manner.
ANNOTATIONS ON CHAPTER VII.
MONA or Anglesey — This island, once the principal seat of the
Druids, and the last asylum to which the distressed Britons fled for
succour from the victorious Romans; the residence of the British
princes, and the stronghold of their expiring armies ; contains many
interesting monuments of the highest antiquity, and coeval with its
ancient inhabitants, the Druids. Though a large volume has been
dedicated to this little island, yet its parochial and antiquarian his-
tory has not been so fully developed as the traveller could either
wish or have expected, from so able, learned, and ingenious a writer
as Mr. Rowlands.
Its sovereignty appears to have been both frequently and sturdily
contested for above four centuries, and was the scene on which the
last and decisive battle was fought between the Welsh and English ;
and although Prince Lhewelyn here witnessed the total overthrow
of his rival King Edward the First, and the discomfiture of his
army, with the loss of many of its most illustrious knights and
chieftains ; yet fortune, on this occasion, seems only to have glim-
mered for a moment in his favour, for in the ensuing year he was
betrayed, and lost his life near Builth in Brecknock.
[ 109 ]
The first mention made of this island in the Welsh Chronicle, is
in the year 808, when its possession was disputed by Conan Tin-
daethwy, and Howel, sons of Roderic Molwynoc; victoiy decided
in favour of the latter, who retained possession of it till the year
817, when it was taken from him by his brother Conan.3
A. D. 818. In the reign of Mervyn Frych and Esylht, the only
daughter of the late Conan, Egbert King of the West Saxons entered
Wales with a great army, and destroyed the whole country unto
Snowdon hills ; and about the same time, there was a sore battle
fought in Anglesey, called the battle of Lhanvaes. Powel, p. 2,5.
About the year 843, at the commencement of the reign of Roderic
the Great, Ethelwulph King of the Saxons united his forces with
Burchred King of Mercia, and entering North Wales with a great
power, destroyed Anglesey, and fought diverse battles with the
Welsh. Powel, p. 29.
A. D. 873. The Danes having made peace with King Alfred, and
according to the words of the Welsh Chronicle, " having abjured Eng-
land," bent their force against Wales, and entered Anglesey with a
large army, where Roderic the Great gave them two battles ; one
at a place called Bangole, and another at a place called Menegid.b
* Conan Prince of Wales, and his brother Howel could not agree, insomuch that
they tried the matter by battell, wherein Howel had the victorie. This Howel, the
brother of Conan King or Prince of North Wales, did claime the ile of Mon or An-
glesey for part of his father's inheritance, which Conan refused to give him, and there-
upon they fell at variance, and consequentlie to make warre the one against the other,
which is unnaturall amongst brethren. Howel gave his brother Conan another battell.,
and slew a great number of his people, whereupon Conan leavied an armie in theyeare
817, and chased his brother Howel out of the ile of Mon or Anglesey, compelling him
to flie into Man. Powel, p. 21,22.
b The Chronicles printed in the Myvyrian Archaeology agree as to the date of this
[110]
In the year 876, the English entered the island, and fought a sore
battle with the Welsh.
A. D. 900. Igmond, with a great number of soldiers, came to
Anglesey, and the Welshmen gave them battle at Molerain.c
About the year 915, the men of Dublin destroyed the island.
The modern edition of the Welsh Chronicle records a battle
fought in Anglesey betwixt Howel Dha and Conan ap Edward Foel,
wherein the latter fell.
A. D- 958. Abloic King of Ireland landed in M6n, and having
burnt Holyhead, spoiled the country of Lhyn ; and in the year 966,
Aberfraw. the royal seat of the princes of North Wales, was de-
stroyed by the Irishmen. In the year 969, Mactus, the son of
Harold, entered Anglesey with an army of Danes,d and spoiled
Penmon,e and shortly afterwards Godfryd, the son of Harold, did
battle, but differ somewhat in the names. It is there written Bangoleu, which means
the clear height, Menegid is, perhaps, a corruption in the texts, as the Saxon Chro-
nicle in the Archaeology writes it Evegyd in Mon, a name equivalent to a plantation
or nursery.
c There be some Brytish copies of this historic, which affirme, that this battel be-
tweene Igmond captaine of the blacke nations and the Brytaines, wherein Mervyn was
slaine, was fought at a place called Mellon, of the which it was called Maes Rhos-
Meilon. Powel, p. 42.
All the Chronicles in the Welsh Archaeology, except the Saxon, make mention of
Rhos Meilon, or the Moor of Mellon, of which the word Molerain is a corruption.
d "These Danes were suffered to inhabite quietlie through all England, till they
were so strong as the Englishmen, and then they fell to such riotousness and drinking,
that much mischief insued thereof; whereupon Edgar made a law, that everie man
should drinke by measure, and caused a certaine marke to be set in every pot how
deepe they shoulde drinke, and so by these meanes he somewhat staled that immode-
rate ingurgitation." Powel, p. 62.
e Penmon (where there was once a priory) is situated on the NE. point of the isle
of Anglesey.
[ "1 ]
subdue to himself the whole isle of Anglesey, which he enjoyed not
long. Powel, p. 62.
A. D. 979. At this time, Custenyn Dhu, that is, Constantine the
Black, son to lago (who was then prisoner), hired Godfryd, the son
of Harold, with his Danes, against his cousin, and they both together
destroyed Anglesey and Lhyn ; whereupon Howel ap Jevaf gathered
his army, and setting upon them at a place called Gwayth Hirbarth,
overthrew them, and Constantine was slain; but in the year 986,
Godfryd entered Anglesey a third time, and having taken Lly-
warch, the son of Owen, prisoner, together with two thousand men,
he cruelly put out his eyes. In 989, the Danes taking advantage of
Meredyth's absence in South Wales, landed in Anglesey, and
ravaged the whole island. Powel, p. 65, 69, 71.
A. D. 1073. Gruffyth, son to Conan ap lago, the rightful inheritor
of the principality of North Wales, came over from Ireland with
the succour which his brethren Encumalhon King of Ulster had
delivered him, and he landed in Anglesey, and brought it to his
subjection. Powel, p. 112.
In 1096, the island was attacked by Hugh de Mountgomery Earl
of Arundel and Shrewsbury, and by Hugh Earl of Chester, the
former of whom was killed by Magnus, as related by Giraldus in
the text of this chapter.
The island seems to have enjoyed a long period of tranquillity
till the year 1151, when Cadwalader, the brother of Owen Gwynedh
Prince of North Wales escaped out of prison, and subdued part of
the isle to himself; but his brother Owen sent an army against him,
and chased him thence. In the year 1157, during the war between
King Henry the Second and the Welsh, the navy of Owen Gwynedh,
under the command of Madoc ap Meredyth Prince of Powys, an-
chored off Anglesey, and put on land some soldiers, who spoiled
two churches, and a little of the country thereabouts ; but as they
returned to their ships, the whole strength of the isle set upon them,
and killed them all, so that none of those which robbed within the
isle brought tidings how they sped. Powel, p. 203—207.
A. D. 1174. About this time, David ap Owen Gwynedh Prince
of North Wales, made war against his brother Maelgon, who was
in possession of the isle of Anglesey, and brought his people over
Menai (for so that arm of the sea is called that separateth the island
from the main land), and forcing his brother to fly to Ireland,
brought all Anglesey to his subjection. Powel, p. 234.
A. D. 1193. Roderic, the son of Owen Gwynedh, by the help of
Gothrike King of Man, entered Anglesey and conquered it ; but
before the end of the same year, the sons of his brother Conan
drove him out of the island and got it themselves. Powel, p. 243.
In the year 1237, the death of Joan, daughter of King John, is
thus recorded in the Welsh Chronicle. " The next spring died
Joan, daughter to King John, Princess of Wales, and was buried
upon the sea shore within the isle of Anglesey, at Lhanvaes, as her
pleasure was, where her husband (Prince Lhewelyn ap Jorwerth)
did build a house of bare-foot friars over her grave. Powel, p. 293.
A. D. 1245. King Henry the Third having failed in his military
expedition against North Wales, and having lost a great number
of his most worthy soldiers and nobility, sent for the Irishmen who
landed in Anglesey, and spoiled a great part thereof, till the inhabi-
tants gathered themselves together, and meeting with them heavily
laden with spoil, drove them back to their ships. Powel, p. 310,
A. D. 1277. Prince Lhewelyn was at length obliged to sue for
peace, which King Edward the First granted, upon the following
hard conditions : " That he should pay to the king, for his favour
and good-will, 50,000 marks ; that the cantref. Ros, where the
king's castle of Teganwy stood ; the cantref Ryvonioc, where Den-
bigh is; the cantref Tegengl, where Ruthlan standeth, and cantref
Dyffryn Clywd, where Ruthyn is, should remain to the king and
his heirs for ever, and that the prince should pay yearly for the
isle of Anglesey 1000 marks, which payment should begin at
Michaelmas next ensuing, and that he should also pay 5000 marks
out of hand, and if the prince died without issue, the island should
revert to the king and his heirs. The prince was also required to
come to England every Christmas to do homage to the king for his
lands." f
The historian Carte has recorded the following anecdote on this
occasion. " The barons of Snowdon, with other noblemen of the
most considerable families in Wales, had attended Lhewelyn to
London, when he came thither at Christmas A. D. 1277, to do
homage to King Edward ; and bringing, according to their usual
custom, large retinues with them, were quartered in Islington and
the neighbouring villages. These places did not afford milk
enough for such numerous trains ; they liked neither wine nor the
ale of London, and though plentifully entertained, were much dis-
pleased at a new manner of living which did not suit their taste,
nor perhaps their constitutions. They were still more offended at
the crowds of people that flocked about them when they stirred
f A copy of this agreement between King Edward and Lhewelyn may be seen in
Rymer's Fcedera, Tom. II. p. 88.
VOL. II. Q,
[ "4 ]
abroad, 8 staring at them as if they had been monsters, and laugh-
ing at their uncouth garb and appearance : they were so enraged
on this occasion, that they engaged privately in an association to
rebel on the first opportunity, and resolved to die in their own
country rather than ever come again to London, as subjects, to be
held in such derision ; and when they returned home, they com-
municated their resentments to their compatriots, who made it
the common cause of their country."
In the year 1281, the Welsh, with Lhewelyn and his brother
David at their head, took up arms again; and Edward being now
convinced that he could place no dependance upon them, as long
as they had a prince to lead them, resolved to make an entire con-
quest of the country. He sent an army by sea to Anglesey which
they won, and slew such as resisted them, but the chief men ad-
hered faithfully to the king, according to the oath they had taken
at the last peace. Then they came over against Bangor, where the
arm of the sea called Menai is the narrowest, at a place called Moel
y don,h and there made a bridge of boats and planks over the water,
on the same spot where Julius Agricola had done the like, when
he subdued the Isle to the Romans. This bridge being accomplished,
so that threescore men might well pass over in a front, William
Latimer.with a great number of his best soldiers, and LukedeThany
with his Gascons and Spaniards (who were in the king's service),
passed over the bridge, and there saw no stir of enemies : but as
soon as the sea began to flow, down came the Welshmen from the
hills, and set upon them fiercely, and either slew or chased them to
* MS. No. 39 inter MSS. Mostyn, p. 302. Carte, Tom. II. p. iyi.
4 The ferry is still continued at this same place.
[ 115 ]
the sea to drown themselves ; for the water was so high, that they
could not attain the bridge, saving William Latimer only, whose
horse carried him to the bridge, and so he escaped. • But the death
of Llewelyn in the same year, and the cruel execution of his brother
David in the ensuing one, effectually checked the rebellious spirit
of the Welsh, and secured to Edward the undisputed sovereignty of
the principality.
This island, which in modern days deserves the epithets applied
to it by Giraldus in this chapter,* once bore a very different appear-
ance. When attacked by the Roman general Suetonius, the sacred
woods of the Druids were levelled to the ground : " Presidium
impositum victis, excisique luci, saevis superstitionibus sacri." At
a much later period we find it well provided with trees, for in
the year 1 102 the Welsh Chronicle says, " that Magnus landed in
Anglesey, and hewed down as much timber wood as was needful
for him." Dreary as its outward aspect may seem to the traveller,
it still contains many interesting objects of attention ; it is particu-
larly rich in Druid ical remains, the finest specimen of which is to
be seen in the park of Lord Uxbridge, at Plas Newydd. The Paris
Mountains deserve the notice of the artist as well as the mineralo-
gist ; for the majestic grandeur and effect of their excavations cannot
be surpassed ; neither should the stately and well preserved castle
at Beaumaris be overlooked, though inferior in point of situation to
its rival brothers at Conwy and Caernarvon.1 The parish church
1 Powel, p. 372.
k Est autem Mona arida tellus et saxosa, deformis aspectu et inamoena.
1 This castle, according to Mr. Grose, was built by King Edward about the year
1295, who changed its-name from Bonover to Beaumarais, which in French signifies
a fine marsh.
[116]
is a handsome Gothic building, and contains some monuments
worthy of notice : the most remarkable is that of a knight in ar-
mour recumbent, with a female by his side, well sculptured in
alabaster ; his head rests upon a helmet, and at his feet is a lion :
the female is habited in a long robe richly ornamented round the
neck; the hands of each are uplifted. Various small figures dressed
like knights and monks decorate the pedestal of this tomb, which
is said to have been brought from the religious house at Lhanvaes
at the time of its dissolution, but the personages whom it was
designed to represent have not been ascertained. It now stands
before the altar, with the feet of the figures placed towards it. On
the right hand side of the altar is a large tablet inserted in the wall,
bearing the following devices and inscriptions : the tablet is of an
oblong form ; at each corner near the top are two escutcheons, en-
circled with the motto of HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE ; under the one
on the left is this inscription : " HENRICUS SYDNEY ORDINIS GARTERII,
MILES PR^SIDENS EX CONSILIIS MARCHIIS WALL1JE, DOMINUS DEPUTA-
TUS IN HIBERNIA." Under the other, ANTONIUS SENTLEGER ORDINIS
GARTERII, MILES, QUONDAM DEPUTATUS IN HIBERNIA ; TOUnd a Circle
in the centre, GULIELMUS THWAYTES ARMIGER ; and beneath it in a
straight line, OBIIT 20 DIE JANUARII 1565. At the lower corners are
also two escutcheons : the one on the left has this motto, FRANCISCUS
AGARD EX CONSILIIS HIBERNIA ; the other on the right, EDWARDUS
WATERHOWS ME posuix ; and at the bottom is this inscription,
NOSCE TEIPSUM — FIDE ET TACITURNITATE
I could not learn that any historical account was extant of this
singular monument, nor on what occasion it was placed in Beau-
maris church. Neither could that indefatigable traveller, Mr.
Pennant, gain any positive information about it.
Henry Sydney, in the second and third of Philip and Mary, was
made general governor of all the king's and queen's revenues within
the realm of Ireland, and about two years afterwards, lord justice
thereof. In the second of Queen Elizabeth he was appointed lord
president of the marches of Wales, and four years after was made
knight of the garter. In J 568 he was constituted deputy of Ireland.
He died at the bishop's palace in Worcester, A.D. 1586, and was
conveyed from thence to his house at Penshurst in Kent, where he
was most honourably interred. He was however previously embow-
elled : his entrails were buried in the dean's chapel in the cathedral
church at Worcester; and his heart171 was brought to Ludlow and
deposited in the same tomb with his dear beloved daughter
Ambrosia, within the little oratory which he had made in the same
collegiate parish church. The historian Hollinshed has left a long
and elaborate character of this celebrated personage ; " from whom
also I have been able to collect some information respecting two
of the other persons mentioned in the tablet. The historian says,
that at each several time he was sent deputy into Ireland, he was
furnished with a new secretary. The first was Master Edward
Waterhouse, now knighted, and one of his majesty's council in
Ireland. The same author adds, " He made special choice of two
worthy counsellors, whom for their faithfulness in counsel for the
m An engraving of the urn containing the heart of Sir Henry Sydney may be seen
in the Gentleman's Magazine, vol. 64, page 785 : it bears this inscription, Her lith
the harte of Syr Henrye Sydny, L. P. Anno DonTni 1586.
• Hollinshed, p. 1552.
[ 118]
state, good will and friendship towards him, and for their integrity
and sincerity every way, he entirely loved and assuredly trusted ;
one of these was Master Francis Agard, whom he commonly called
his " Fidus Achates."
Sir Anthony St. Leger was lord deputy of Ireland in the year
1539. He was succeeded first by Sir James Crofts, and afterwards
by Fitz- Walter Earl of Sussex. When Sir Henry Sidney was recalled
to this high office, Sir Anthony St. Leger was appointed as his
coadjutor and stationed in Munster with the title of Lord President
of that province. I can gain no biographical information respecting
Gulielmus Thwaytes, the aera of whose death is recorded on this
tablet.
Before I conclude my sketch of Anglesey, I must not forget to
mention, that those who wish to see the magnificent range of Snow-
donian mountains to advantage, must view them from this coast.
Hugh Earl of Chester — The first earl of Chester after the Norman
conquest was Gherbod a Fleming, who having obtained leave from
King William to go into Flanders for the purpose of arranging
some family concerns, was taken and detained a prisoner by his
enemies; upon which the conqueror bestowed the earldom of Chester
on Hugh de Abrincis, " to hold as freely by the sword, as the king
himself did England by the crown."0
He remained steady to the cause of William Rufus during all his
reign, and by his military skill and prowess, enlarged his territories
9 Gulielmus primus Hugonem cognomine Lupum, primum haereditarium, et Pala-
tinum Cestriae comitem creavit, totumquehunc comitatum tenendum sibi, et haeredibus,
ita libere ad gladium, sicut ipse rex tenebat Angliatn ad coronam, dedit. Camden,
Cheshire, p. 470.
in Wales, winning the province of Tegengl and Ryvonioc,*1 with all
the land by the sea-shore unto the river of Conwy.
In the year J096, he leagued with Hugh Earl of Shrewsbury
against the Welsh, and attacked the island of Anglesey, the parti-
culars of which are thus related in the Welsh Chronicle. " The
year following being 1096, Hugh de Mountgomerie Earle of Arun-
dell and Salopsburie, whom the Welshmen call Hugh Goch, that
is to say, Hugh the Red-headed, and Hugh Vras, that is Hugh the
Fat Earle of Chester, and a great number of nobles more, did gather
a huge armie, and entred into North Wales, being thereto moved
by certeine lords of the countrie. But Gruffyth ap Conan the
prince, and Cadogan ap Blethyn, tooke the hilles and mountaines
for their defense ; bicause they were not able to meet with the
Earles. neither durst they well trust their owne men. And so the
Earles came over against the ile of Mon or Anglesey, where they
did build a castell of Aberlhiennawc.i Then Gruffyth and Cado-
gan did go to Anglesey, thinking to defend the ile, and sent for
succour to Ireland: but they received verie small. Then the
treason appeared, for Owen ap Edwyn (who was the prince's cheefe
counsellor, and his father- in- lawe, whose daughter Gruffyth had
married, having himself'e also married Everyth the daughter of
* Tegengl was a cantref of Gwyneth, and is now a part of Flintshire. Ryvonioc is
now known by the name of Denbigh-land.
* Castell Aber Lhenawg is a small square fort, with the remains of a little round
tower at each corner. In the middle one stood a square tower. A f'oss surrounds the
whole. A hollow way is carried quite to the shore, and at its extremity is a large
mound of earth, designed to cover the landing. This fort was garrisoned so lately as
the time of Charles I. when it was kept for the parliament by Sir Thomas Cheadle,
but was taken by Colonel Robinson in 1645 or 6. It is situated on the coast between
Lhanvaes and Penmon. Pennant, Tom. II. p. 249.
[ 120 ]
Convyn, aunt to Cadogan) was the cheefe caller of those strangers
into Wales, who openlie went with all his power to them, and did
lead them to the ile of Anglesey, which thing when Gruffyth and
Cadogan perceived, they sailed to Ireland, mistrusting the treason
of theire owne people. Then the Earles spoiled the ile, and slew
all that they found there. And at the verie same time, Magnus, the
sonne of Haroald, came with a great navie of ships towards Eng-
land, minding to laie faster hold upon that kingdome than his
father had done, and being driven by chaunce to Anglesey, would
have landed there, but the Earles kept him from the land. And
there Magnus with an arrowe stroke Hugh Earle of Salop in the
face, that he died thereof, and suddenlie either part forsooke the
ile, and the Englishmen returned to England, and left Owen ap
Edwyn prince in the land, who had allured them thither," p. 156.
The character of this Earl of Chester has been thus drawn by
Ordericus Vitalis. " Hie non dapsilis sed prodigus erat ; non fami-
liam secum, sed exercitum semper ducebat. In dando vel accipi-
endo nullam rationem tenebat. Ipse terrain suam quotidie devas-
tabat, et plus aucupibus et venatoribus, quam terras cultoribus, vel
cceli oratoribus applaudebat. Ventris ingluviei serviebat, unde
nimiae crassiciei pondere praegravatus, vix ire poterat. E pellicibus
plurimam sobolem utriusque sexus genuit, quae diversis infortuniis
absorpta pene tota periit," p. 522. And in another place the same
author adds, " Hie nimirum amator seculi seculariumque pompa-
rum fuit, quas maximam beatitudinem putabat esse portionem
humanarum. Erat enim in militia promptus, in dando nimis pro-
digus, gaudens ludis et luxibus, mimis, equis, et canibus, aliisque
hujusmodi variitattbus. Huic maxima semper adherebat familia in
quibus nobilium ignobiliumque puerorum numerosa perstrepebat
copia. Cum eodem consule commorabantur viri honorabiles clerici
et milites, quos tarn laborum quam divitiarum gratulabatur esse
suarum participes," p. 598.
He died in the year 1101, and was buried in the abbey of Saint
Werburgh which he had founded at Chester.
Ynys Lenach — now known by the name of Priestholme island,
bore also the title of Ynys Seiriol, from a saint who resided upon it
in the sixth century. It is also mentioned by Dugdale and Pennant
under the appellation of Insula Glannauch. The former has given
in his Monasticon, Vol. II. p. 338, a recital of the grants made to
this priory by Prince Lhewelyn and his brother David, as well as
the confirmation of them by King Edward the First/ by which it
appears that the abbey Of Penmon, with its appurtenances, was
granted and confirmed to the prior and canons of this island. This
island is also said to have been the place of interment of Maelgwn
Gwynedd, the founder of Penmon, Holyhead, and Bangor, and
cotemporary with King Arthur. The fretum, which separates the
island from the main land, is something more than half a mile
across. The island is between half and three quarters of a mile
long, and nearly of an oval form, precipitous, with an inclination
to the north ; the soil is rich, with a small portion of sand inter-
mixed; it can boast of no buildings but a ruined tower, and of no
inhabitants, but sheep and rabbits.
' Inspeximus autem cartam quam Lewelinus Princeps de Aberfrau, et Dominus
Snowdon fecit Priori et Canonicis de insula Glannauch, in haec verba. Noverit uni-
versitas vestra, nos pro salute animae nostrse, et antecessorum nostrorum dedisse et
concecisse, et hac praesenti carta nostril confinnasse Priori et Canonicis de insula
Glannauc, totam Abbadaeth de Penmon, cum omnibus pertinentiis suis, &c.
VOL. II. R
Alberic de Veer, or Vere — came into England with William the
Conqueror, and as a reward for his military services, received very
extensive possessions and lands, particularly in the county of Essex;
he married Beatrix, daughter of Henry, Castellan of Bourbourg, by
Sibille, daughter of Manasses Count of Ghisnes. Alberic, his eldest
son, was great chamberlain of England in the reign of King Henry
the First, and was killed, A. D. 1140, in a popular tumult at
London. Henry de Essex married one of his daughters named
Adeliza. He enjoyed, by inheritance, the office of standard bearer,
and behaved himself so unworthily in the military expedition
which King Henry undertook against Owen Gwynedh Prince
of North Wales in the year 1157, by throwing down his ensign,
and betaking himself to flight, that he was challenged for this mis-
demeanor by Robert de Mountford, and by him vanquished in
single combat, whereby, according to the laws of his country, his
life was justly forfeited ; but the king interposing his royal mercy,
spared it, but confiscated his estates, ordering him to be shorn a
monk, and placed in the abbey of Reading.5
There appears to be some biographical error in these words of
Giraldus— " Filia scilicet Henrici de Essexia," for by the genealo-
gical accounts of the Vere and Essex families, we find that Henry
de Essex married the daughter of the second Alberic de Vere ;
whereas our author seems to imply, that the mother of Alberic the
second was daughter to Henry de Essex.
' A. D. 1 163. Eodem anno Robertas de Montforde, cum Henrico de Essexia, de
proditione regis, singular! certamine congrediens, victoriam reportavit. Quade causa,
Henricus notam infamise simul, el exhajreditationis jacturam incurrens, indulgentia
pii regis, apud Radinghum, habitum monacbalem suscepit. Matth. Paris, p. 99.
[ 123 ]
CHAPTER VIII.
CONWY RIVER— DINAS EMRYS.
ON our return to Bangor from Mona, we were shewn the tombs of
Prince Owen and his younger brother Cadwalader,1 who were buried
in a double vault before the high altar, although Owen, on account
of his public incest with his cousin-german, had died excommuni-
cated by the blessed martyr Saint Thomas. The bishop of that see
having been directed to seize a proper opportunity of removing his
body from the church; we continued our journey on the sea-coast,
confined on one side by steep rocks, and by the sea on the other,
towards the river Conwy, which preserves its waters unadulterated
by the sea.1 Not far from the source of the river Conwy,3 at the
1 Owen Gwynedh, the son of Gruffyth ap Conan, died in the year 1169, after a
prosperous reign of thirty-two years, and was buried at Bangor. When Baldwin,
during his progress, visited Bangor and saw his tomb, he charged the bishop (Guy
Ruffus) to remove the body out of the cathedral, when he had a. fit opportunity so to
do, in regard that Archbishop Becket had excommunicated him heretofore, because
he had married his first cousin, the daughter of Grono ap Edwyn, and that, notwith-
standing he had continued to live with her till she died. The bishop, in obedience to
the charge, made a passage from the vault through the south wall of the church un-
derground, and thus secretly shoved the body into the churchyard. Hengwrt. MSS.
Cadwallader, the brother of Owen Gwynedh, died in the year 1172.
1 The same vulgar opinion seems to have prevailed in the days of Giraldus respect-
ing the river Conwy, as in more modern times has been held both to the river Rhone
in Switzerland, and the river Dee in Merionethshire, one of which is said to continue
[ 124 ]
head of the Eryri mountain, which on this side extends itself to-
wards the north, stands Dinas Emtys, the promontory of Ambro-
sius, where Merlin uttered his prophecies, whilst Vortigern was
seated upon the bank. There were two Merlins ; the one called
Ambrosius, who prophesied in the time of King Vortigern, was
begotten by a demon incubus, and found at Caermardyn, from
which circumstance that city derived its name of Caermardyn, or
the city of Merlin ; the other Merlin, born in Scotland, was named
Celidonius, from the Celidonian wood in which he prophesied;
and Sylvester, because when engaged in martial conflict, he dis-
covered in the air a terrible monster, and from that time grew
mad, and taking shelter in a wood, passed the remainder of his
days in a savage state. This Merlin lived in the time of King
Arthur, and is said to have prophesied more fully and explicitly
than the other. I shall pass over in silence, what was done by the
sons of Owen in our days, after his death, or while he was dying,
who, from the wicked desire of reigning, totally disregarded the
ties of fraternity; but I shall not omit mentioning another event
which occurred likewise in our days. Owen, son of Gruffyth,
Prince of North Wales had many sons, but only one legitimate,
namely, Jorwerth Trwyndwn, which in Welsh means flat-nosed,
who had a son named Lhewelyn. This young man, being only
twelve years of age, began, during the period of our journey, to
its course unvaried through the lake of Geneva, and the other through the lake of
Bala.
1 The river Conwy takes its rise far to the east of Snowdon, on a dreary range of
mountains between Festiniog and Yspytty Evan, where there is a very large lake (in-
ferior only in size to that of Bala), and which may be truly called the chief source of
this river. lu its course to Lanrwst, it forms many fine and precipitous cataracts.
F=(
[ 1*5 ]
molest his uncles David and Roderic, the sons of Owen by Chris-
tiana his cousin-german : and although they had divided amongst
themselves all North Wales, except the land of Conan, and
although David, having married the sister of King Henry the
Second, by whom he had one son, was powerfully supported by the
English ; yet within a few years, the legitimate son, destitute of
lands or money (by the aid of Divine vengeance) bravely expelled
from North Wales those who were born in public incest, though
supported by their own wealth and by that of others ; leaving them
nothing but what the liberality of his own mind, and the counsel
of good men from pity suggested : a proof that adulterous and
incestuous persons are displeasing to God.
ANNOTATIONS ON CHAPTER VIII.
DINAS Emrys — This singularly insulated hill, which still retains
its ancient name, is situated at a short distance from the picturesque
little village of Bedgelert, and near a beautiful lake called Llyn y
Dinas, or the Lake of the Castle. It is far distant, however, from
the source of the river Conwy, which rises on the opposite side of
Snowdon. On its summit are the remains of a square fort, and on
the western side, facing Bedgelert, there are traces of a long wall.
An ancient British historian, Nennius, informs us that King Vorti-
gern being deceived and threatened by the Saxons whom he had
invited into Britain, was advised by his magicians to build a strong
[ 126 ]
fortress, to protect himself from their attacks. Having wandered
over a large tract of country, without finding a suitable situation,
they at last came to the province called Gwyneth, and on examina-
tion found a fit place amongst the mountains of Heriri, where the
magicians ordered him to build, as being secure on that spot from
the barbarians. Whereupon he collected workmen and every
necessary material for building, all of which disappeared in one
night : thrice he ordered them to be re-collected, and they as often
vanished."
As we know that Vortigern retired to some part of the Snowdon
mountains, it is very probable that Dinas Ernrys was the spot
selected for his fortress ; for no situation could have been found
better calculated for retirement or defence, as it fills up nearly the
whole valley, and the steepness of its sides renders it very difficult
of access.
Merlin — I have already in my annotations on Chapter VI. given
an account of Merlin Sylvestris, or Merddin-Wyllt. The Merlin
here mentioned was called Ambrosius, and according to the Cam-
brian Biography, flourished about the middle of the fifth century :
he was a celebrated poet, well skilled in mathematics, and is reputed
* Rex ad se invitavit omnes magos suos, ut ab eis interrogaret, quid faceret. At illi
dixerunt, " In extremes fines regni tui vade, ut arcem munitam construes, in qua te de-
fendas." Postea ver6 rex cum magis suis quaesiturus perrexit, et per multas regiones,
multasqueprovincias peragraverunt, et minime quod quaerebant reperientes, novissime
ad illam regionem quac vocatur Guoienit pervenerunt ; et illo lustrante in montibus
Heriri (i. e. Snowdon); tandem in uno montimn, locum in quo aptum erat arcem
condere adeptus est. Et magi ad ilium dixerunt " arcem in illo loco fac, quia tutissi-
ma a barbaris gentibus in aeternum. erit." Ipse ver6 artifices lapides et ligna con-
gregavit; cum ver6 congregata esset omnis maleria, in una nocte omnino ablata est
tribusque vicibus jussit congregari, et nusquam comparuit. Nennius, p. 122.
to have been the architect of the work of Emiys, called by the
English, Stonehenge, on Salisbury Plain. There is a singular ac-
count of his construction of a house of glass, in which he went to
sea, accompanied by the nine Gylveirdd Bards, of whom nothing
was heard afterwards ; whence the circumstances were ranked with
the departure of Gavran and of Madog, under the appellation of the
three disappearances from the isle of Britain. This Merddin was
also distinguished as one of the three principal Christian bards of
the isle of Britain ; the other two were Merddin Wyllt, and Taliesin.
Other authors say, that this reputed prophet and magician was the
son of a Welsh nun, daughter of a King of Demetia, and born at
Caermarthen, and that he was made King of West Wales by
Vortigern, who then reigned in Britain. His prophecies, written
in prose, were translated into Latin, and published by Geoffrey of
Monmouth.b
Owen Gwynedh (whose lineage I have before mentioned), " left
behind him manie children gotten by diverse women, which were
not esteemed by their mothers and birth, but by their prowes and
valiantnesse." By his first wife Gladus, the daughter of Llywarch ap
Trahaern ap Caradoc, he had Jorwerth Drwyndwn, that is, Edward
with the broken nose ; for which defect, he was deemed unfit to
preside over the principality of North Wales, and was deprived
of his rightful inheritance, which was siezed by his brother David,
and occupied for the space of twenty-four years. In the year 1 194
Lhewelyn son of the aforesaid Jorwerth, collecting together his
b The only two editions I have seen of these prophecies are, 1. Prophetia Anglicana,
Merlini Ambrosii Britanni, 12mo. Francofurti, 1603. 2. The life of Merlin, sirnamed
Ambrosius ; his prophecies and predictions interpreted, 8cc. 4to. London, 1641.
friends, claimed legal title to the sovereignty of North Wales, which
had been unjustly usurped and held by his uncle David : on enter-
ing the country, the people willingly yielded, and took him for
their lord, and thus he regained the principality of North Wales,
without bloodshed, which he retained till the year of his death
A. D. 1240, of which the following account is given in the Welsh
Chronicle: "The yeare after Christ's incarnation 1240, Lhewelyn
ap Jorwerth the most valiant and noble prince, which brought all
Wales to his subjection, and had so often put his eriimies to flight,
and defended his countrie, enlarging the meares thereof further
than they had beene manie yeares before, passed out of this transi-
torie life, and was honorablie buried at the abbeie of Conwey,
after he had governed Wales well arid worthilie fiftie and sixe
yeares." Powel, p. 298.
Jorwerth Trwyndwn — Mr. Pennant supposes that this uufortunate
prince was buried in the churchyard of Pennant Melangell, whither,
as to a sanctuary, he had fled from the persecutions of his brother
David; and he attributes to him a rudely sculptured effigy of a
warrior bearing a shield, on which was this inscription: HIC IACET
ETWART.
This parish church is situated in a beautifully retired valley,
about two miles from Langynnog, in Montgomeryshire. In its
churchyard are two rude effigies ; the one of a man bearing a shield
over his breast, and the fragment of a sword in his left hand ; but
the inscription recorded by Pennant is quite obliterated. As the
Welsh Chronicle neither mentions the time nor manner of his death,
it is not improbable that he was killed near this place: and a
tumulus on an adjoining hill, which still bears the name of Bwlch
[ 129 ]
Croes Jorwerth ; or the pass of the cross of Jorwerth, may have
been thrown over his remains, or erected to his memory.
The other effigy represents a female with hands uplifted as in the
attitude of praying, and may perhaps commemorate Saint Melan-
gell, the patroness of the church. According to the Cambrian
Biography, she was the daughter of Cyvwlch, a distinguished saint,
who flourished in the beginning of the sixth century. She is said
to have been discovered in this solitary retreat by Brochwel
Yscythrog, Prince of Powys, when a hare, which his hounds
were pursuing, took refuge under the virgin's robe. The Prince
having given her lands, desired her to build a sanctuary on the
spot, which she did, and there ended her days. The story of the
hare and saint are carved in wood on the frieze of the singing
gallery.
Sir John Wynne, in his history of the Gwedir family, says that
Jorwerth Drwndwn, or Edward with the broken nose, being put
from the government of the principality, had assigned him for his
part of his father's inheritance, the hundreds of Nanconwy and
Ardydwy. He dwelled at the castle of Dolwyddelan, where it is
thought credible his son Lhewelyn the Great, or Prince Lhewelyn,
was born, whose mother was Maryed the daughter of Maclog ap
Meredydd Prince of Powys.
VOL. II.
[ 130]
CHAPTER IX.
ERYRI MOUNTAINS.
I MUST not pass over in silence the mountains called by the Welsh
Eryri, and by the English Snowdon, or Mountains of Snow, which
gradually increasing from the land of the sons of Conan, and
extending themselves northwards near Deganwy, seem to rear their
lofty summits even to the clouds, when viewed from the opposite
coast of Anglesey. They are said to be of so great an extent, that
according to an ancient proverb, " As Mona could supply corn for
all the inhabitants of Wales, so could the Eryri mountains afford
sufficient pasture for all the herds, if collected together:" Hence
these lines of Virgil may be applied to them :
" Et quantum longis carpent armenta diebus,
Exigua. tantum gelidus ros nocte reponet."
And what is cropt by day, the night renews,
Shedding refreshful stores of cooling dews.
On the high part of these mountains are two lakes worthy of
notice; the one has a floating island in it, which is often driven
from one side to the other by the force of the winds ; and the
shepherds behold with astonishment their cattle whilst feeding,
carried to the distant parts of the lake. A part of the bank natu-
rally bound together by the roots of willows and other shrubs, may
have been broken off, and increased by the alluvion of the earth
from the shore; and being continually agitated by the winds,
which in so elevated a situation blow with great violence, it cannot
reunite itself firmly with the banks. The other lake is noted for a
wonderful and singular miracle ; it contains three sorts of fish; eels,
trout, and perch, all of which have only one eye, the left being
wanting: but if the curious reader should demand of me the expla-
nation of so extraordinary a circumstance, I cannot presume to
satisfy him. It is remarkable also, that in two places in Scotland,
one near the eastern, the other near the western sea, the fish called
mullets possess the same defect, having no left eye. According to
vulgar tradition, these mountains are frequented by an eagle, who
perching on a fatal stone every fifth holiday, in order to satiate her
hunger with the carcases of the slain, is said to expect war on that
same day; and to have almost perforated the stone by cleaning
and sharpening her beak.
ANNOTATIONS ON CHAPTER IX.
THE mountains of Eryri, now better known by the name of Snow-
don, form a very prominent feature in the natural history and topo-
graphy of North Wales. The highest summit is called Y Wyddfa,
or the Conspicuous, and appears in no situation so exalted as near
Capel Cerrig, for which reason I selected that spot for my view.
[ 132 ]
Though confessedly the highest mountain, in Wales, it is by no
means the most picturesque in its form ; for Cadair Idris, Moelwyn,
and Arran in North Wales, and the Cadair Arthur near Brecknock
in South Wales, present a far bolder outline.
In speaking of Caernarvonshire, the historian Camden gives
the following account of this range of mountains." " But for the
inner parts, nature has raised them far and wide into high moun-
tains (as if she would condense here within the bowels of the earth,
the frame of this island), and made a most safe retiring place for
the Britons in time of war. For here are such a number of rocks
and craggy places, and so many vallies incumbered with woods
and lakes, that they are not only unpassable to an army, but even
to light armed troops. We may very properly call these mountains
the British Alps, for, besides that they are the highest in all the
island, the}- are also no less inaccessible by reason of the steepness
of their rocks, than the Alps themselves ; and they all encompass
one hill, which far exceeding the rest in height, does so towre its
head aloft, that it seems, I shall not say to threaten the sky, but to
thrust its summit into it. It harbours snow continually, being
throughout the year covered with it, or rather with a hardened
' Interiora autein natura long& latuque montibus, quasi hie compages hujus insulae
visceribus terras densaret, confertim extulit, receptaculumque Britannia tutissimum in-
gruente bello fecit ; tot enim aspera, rupesque, tot convalles saltuosae, stagnisque
impedilae interjectae sunt, ut non modo exercitus, sed ne expediti quidem calles inve-
niant. Alpes, si placet, Britannicas merito hos monies appelles, nam praeterquam quod
totius insulae m.iximi sunt, etiam incisis undique rupibus, non minus quam Alpes, prae-
cipites; omnesque unum ambiunl, qui in medio vast6 supereminens, ita caput effert, ut
non coelo minari, sed inserere juga videalur; quae tamen nivibus sunt fida, toto enim
anno, nive seu potius nivium senio canescunt; unde uno nomine omnes Britannis
Craig Eriry, Anglis Snowdon, id est, utraque lingual, niviferi monies vocantur.
[ 133 ]
crust of snow ;b and hence the British name of Kraig Eryr, and the
English one of Snowdon. Gibson's Camden, p. 794.
Our author mentions two lakes on the high parts of these moun-
tains, the first of which, he says, has a floating island in it. On the
left of the great road, leading from Bedgelert to Caernarvon, and
before you come to the beautiful lake Cywellyn, there is a small
pool, bearing the name of Llyn y Dywarchen, or the lake of the
Sod; and which, at the time I saw it, exhibited the same pecu-
liarity mentioned, and rationally accounted for by Giraldus ; but
its situation so little accords with the one here described, that I am
inclined to think this is not the lake alluded to in the text, more
particularly as I have been informed by some of the natives of
these parts, that there is another lake bearing the same name on the
heights between Bedgelert and Festiniog.
Mr. Pennant (but I know not from what authority) fixes the other
lake at Llyn y Cwn, or the Dog's Pool, which, according to Mr.
Williams,0 is the highest lake amongst these mountains.
h Bishop Gibson remarks, that Camden was in this point misinformed, for gene-
rally speaking there is no snow on the mountain from the end of April to the middle
of September ; some heaps excepted, which often remain near the tops of Moel y
Wyddfa and Carnedd Lhewelyn, till the middle of June, ere they are totally wasted'
Various derivations have been ascribed to the word Eryri, by which these mountains
were in ancient times known. Some have deduced the word from Eiry, snow; others
from Eryr, eagle, a bird which has been known to frequent these heights ; but Mr.
Owen's explanation of the word Eryri, signifying what is precipitated or thrown out
violently, is so truly applicable to this broken chaos of mountains, that we need seek
for no better signification of the word Eryri.
c Author of Observations on the Snowdon mountains, 1802.
[134]
CHAPTER X.
DEGANWY— RUTHLAN-LANELWY-COLESHULLE.
HAVING crossed the river Conwy, or rather an arm of the sea, under
Degamvy, leaving the Cistercian monastery of Conwy on the western
bank of the river to our right hand, we arrived at Ruthlan, a noble
castle on the river Cloyd, belonging to David, the eldest son of
Owen, where, at the earnest instances of David himself, we were
handsomely entertained that night.
There is a spring not far from Ruthlan, in the province of Tegen-
gel,1 which not only regularly ebbs and flows like the sea, twice in
1 This ebbing spring in the province of Tegengel, or Flintshire, has been placed by
the annotator on Giraldus, at Kilken, which Humphrey Llwyd, in his Breviary, also
thus mentions : — " In Tegenia is a well of a marvellous nature, which, being six miles
from the sea, in the parish of Kilken, ebbeth and floweth twice in one day. Yet have
I marked this of late, when the moon ascendeth from the east horizon to the south (at
what lime all seas do flow), that then the water of this well diminisheth and ebbeth."
Pennant, as well as Camden, take notice of this same spring, under the title of Ffyn-
non Leinw, or the flowing well, and say that its ebbing quality had ceased.
I must dissent from Dr. Powel, in fixing the spring here mentioned at Kilken, a
parish near Mold, and many miles distant from Ruthlan, and coincide with the opi-
nion of the learned Camden, who says, that Giraldus alluded, with more probability,
to a spring called Ffynnon Assav, to which the same phenomenon is attributed.
Browne Willis also mentions a place called Capell Ffynnon Vair, or the chapel of St.
Mary's Well, which stands in the township of Wickwar, about two miles S W. of St.
Asaph, which in former days was held in great sanctity, and much resorted to. It was
so denominated from a large spring or well, which lies near the west door, and is
[ 135 ]
twenty-four hours; but at other times frequently rises and falls
both by night and day. Trogus Pompeius says, " that at Gara-
mantum there is a spring which is hot and cold alternately by day
and night."
Many persons in the morning having been persuaded to dedicate
themselves to the service of Christ, we proceeded from Ruthlan to
the small cathedral church of Lanelwy ; from whence (the Arch-
bishop having celebrated mass) we continued our journey through
a country rich in minerals of silver, to the little cell of Basinwerk,
where we passed the night. The following day we traversed a long
quicksand, and not without some degree of apprehension, leaving
the woody district of Coleshulle,1 or hill of coal, on our right hand,
where Henry the Second, who in our time, actuated by youthful
and indiscreet ardour, made a hostile irruption into Wales, and
presuming to pass through that narrow arid woody defile, experi-
enced a signal defeat, and a very heavy loss of men. He entered
Wales three times with an army; first, North Wales at the above-
mentioned place; secondly, South Wales, by the sea-coast of Gla-
morgan and Goer, penetrating as far as Gaermardhin and Pencadair,
and returning by Ellennith and Melenith ; and thirdly, the country
of Powys, near Oswaldestree; but in all these expeditions the king
handsomely walled about with freestone, and the water runs under the chapel from
west to east. By the side of the well, there grows a sweet scented moss, much esteemed
by pilgrims. Neither has this miraculous well escaped the notice of that intelligent
and investigating traveller, Mr. Pennant, who thus speaks of it :— Ffynnon Vair, or
our Lady's Well, a fine spring, inclosed in an angular wall, formerly roofed, and the
ruins of a cross-shaped chapel, finely overgrown with ivy, exhibit a venerable view in
a deep wooded bottom, not remote from the bridge over the Elwy.
* Coleshill is a township in Holywell parish, Flintshire, which gives name to a hun-
dred, and was so called from its abundance of fossil fuel. Pennant, Vol. I. p. 42.
[ 136 ]
was unsuccessful, because he placed no confidence in the prudent
and well-informed chieftains of the country ; but was principally
advised by people remote from the marches, and ignorant of the
manners and customs of the natives. In every expedition, as the
artificer is to be trusted in his trade, so the advice of those people
should be consulted, who by a long residence in the country, are
become conversant with the manners and customs of the natives ;
and to whom it is of high importance that the power of the hostile
nation, with whom, by a long and continued warfare, they have
contracted an implacable enmity and hatred, should be weakened
or destroyed, as we have set forth in our prophetic history.
In this wood of Coleshulle, a young Welshman was killed while
passing through the king's army; the greyhound who accompanied
him did not desert his master's corpse for eight days, though with-
out food; but faithfully defended it from the attacks of dogs,
wolves, and birds of prey, with a wonderful attachment : What son
to his father? What Nisus to Euryalus? What Polynices to Ty-
deus? What Orestes to Pylades, would have shewn such an affec-
tionate regard ? As a mark of favour to the dog, who was almost
starved to death ; the English, although bitter enemies to the Welsh,
ordered the body, now nearly putrid, to be deposited in the ground
with the accustomed offices of humanity.
[ 137 ]
ANNOTATIONS ON CHAPTER X.
THE crusaders pursuing their journey along the sea coast, crossed
the aestuary of the river Conwy under Deganwy, a fortress of very
remote antiquity, and by some authors supposed to have been the
Station Dictum ; where under the late emperors, the commander of
the Nervii Dictenses kept guard. The first mention made of it in the
Welsh Chronicle is in the year 810, when it was destroyed by
thunder, during the reign of Conan Tindaethwy. In the year 1210
the Earl of Chester re-edified the castle of Deganwy, which stood
upon the sea shore, east of the river Conwy, which Prince Lhewelyn
had before destroyed : and in the following year, King John, enter-
ing North Wales by Chester, came along the sea coast to Ruthlan,
and passing over the river Clwyd, came to the castell of Deganwy,
and there remained awhile ; but Lhewelyn cut off his victuals
behind him, so that he could have none from England, and there
could not a man scatter from the skirmishes unfought withall ;
where the North Wales men alwaies, both for the advantage of the
straights, and knowledge of the places, had the upper hand. At
the last the English souldiours were glad to taste horsse flesh for pure
neede. Then when the king saw no remedie, he returned home in
great rage, leaving the countrie full of dead bodies." Powel,p.264. In
the year 1245, we find from the same chronicle that Deganwy bore
the name of Gannock, and that King Henry the Third experienced
great distress at this place. " Of this viage a certeine nobleman,
VOL. II. T
[ 138 ]
being then in the kinge's campe, wrote thus to his freends about
the end of September, 1245:"
" The king with his armie lieth at Gannock, fortifieng of that
strong castell, and we lie in our tents thereby, watching, fasting,
praieng, and freezing with cold ; we watch for feare of the Welsh-
inen, who are wont to invade and come upon us in the night time.
We fast for want of meat, for the halfpenie loafe is worth five pence ;
we praie to God to send us home againe speedilie ; we starve for
cold wanting our winter garments, and having no more but a thin
linnen c loath betwixt us and the wind. There is an arme of the
sea under the castell where we lie, whereto the tide commeth, and
manie ships come up the haven thither, which bring victuals to
the campe from Ireland and Chester. This arme of the sea lieth
betwixt us and Snowdon, where the Welshmen abide now, and is
about a flyght shoote over when the tide is in." Powel, p. 31 1.
In the year 1262 it is spoken of as a royal castle of King Edward,
and rased by Prince Lhewelyn. After the final subjection of Wales,
and the incorporation of it with England by the statute made at
Ruthlan an. 12 Edw. I. we hear no more mention made of Deganwy.
The stately edifice of Aberconwy Castle supplied its place, and
together with that of Caernarvon on one side, and Beaumaris on
the other, put an effectual bar to any hostile designs of the Welsh
nation. Some trifling ruins of walls and foundations are still
extant of the ancient fortress of Deganwy.
Conwy — Though the archbishop and his suite did not pass
through Conwy, but on the opposite side of the river ; I hope I may
be allowed to make a short digression to an abbey once so celebrated
in the annals of Welsh history. At this period the Cistercian
[ 139 ]
monastery of Conwy was in its infancy, for its foundation has been
attributed to Lhewelyn ap Jorwerth in the year 1 1 85 (only three
years previous to Baldwin's visitation), who endowed it with very
extensive possessions and singular privileges. Dugdale has pre-
served a copy of the original grant of lands, 8cc. made to this abbey,
by which the founder exempts it not only from the customary en-
tertainment of strangers, but also of himself and his attendants.
" Concessi insuper ejusdem monachis, quod liberi sint in perpe-
tuum et quieti ab omnibus pastibus et poturis hominum, equorum,
canum, et avium, et rion compellantur ad pascendum me aut
ministros meos, aut alios quoscumque seculares sub obtentu con-
suetudinis, kc. &c."
When King Henry in the year 1245 was encamped at Deganwy,
the English troops, in one of their hostile excursions, " spoiled the
abbey of Conwy, burning all the houses of offices belonging to the
same ; which doings caused the Welshmen to come togither, who
like desperate men set upon the English soldiours being loden with
spoiles, and slew a great number of them, following the rest to the
water side, of whom some gat to the boates and so escaped, and
some cast themselves into the water, and were drowned, and such
as they tooke they hanged or headed everie one." Powel, p. 312.
Like Stratflur, this abbey was the repository of the national
records, and the mausoleum of many of its princes.
In the year 1 200 Gruffy th son to Conan ap Owen Gwyneth was
buried in the abbey of Conwy.1
In the year 1216 Howel ap Griffyth ap Conan died, and was
buried at Conwy.
a A. D. 1200. Gruffyth, sonne to Conan ap Owen Gwyneth, a nobleman, died, and
[ 140 ]
In the year 1230 Maelgon son of Prince Lhewelyn died, and was
buried at Conwy.
In the year 1240 the valiant and noble Prince Lhewelyn ap
Jorwerth was buried in the abbey of Conwy .b
" In the year 1246 David ap Lhewelyn Prince of Wales, after he
had gotten the love of his subjects, and atchieved manie notable
victories, passed out of this life, and was buried at Conwy by his
father, after he had ruled Wales five yeares."0
The din of arms ill according with the austere and solitary pro-
fession of the Cistercian order of monks, they retired to a place
called Maynan on the banks of the river Conwy in the year 1289,
where in addition to the many privileges they before enjoyed, the
king gave them the patronage of their former church at Conwy.
was buried in a monk's cowle at the abbey of Conwy, and so were all the nobles (for
the most part) of that time buried ; for they were made to beleeve by the monks and
friers, that that strange weed was a sure defense betwixt their soules and hell, how so
ever they died. Powel, p. 253.
b The character of this prince is given at the end of my Annotations on Chapter VIII.
c In the year 1249 the abbots of Conwy and Stratflur made suit to the king for the
body of Gruffyth ap Lhewelyn, which he granted unto them, and they conveyed it to
Conwy where he was honourably buried. This prince was taken prisoner by his
brother David, and delivered up to the king, who confined him in the tower of
London, from which endeavouring to escape, he broke his neck. The circumstance is
thus recorded in the Welsh Chronicle: "When Gruflyth saw how all things went,
and that he was not like to be set at libertie, he began to devise waies and meanes to
escape out of prison. Wherefore deceiving the watch one night, he made a long
line of hangings, coverings and sheetes, and having gotten out of a window, let
downe himselfe by the same from the top of the towre ; but by reason that he was a
mightie personage and full of flesh, the line brake with the weight of his bodie, and
so falling downe headlong of a great height, his necke and head was driven into his
bodie with the fall, whose miserable carcase being found the morrowe after, was a
pittifull sight to the beholders." Powel, p. 307.
Richard ap Rice was the last abbot at the time of its dissolution,
and had a pension allowed him of £2,0. per annum.
Ruthlan — The castle of Ruthlan was deemed one of the most
important fortresses in Wales ; it was often taken and retaken,
and experienced frequent vicissitudes of fortune. I find this
place first mentioned in the year 795, as the spot where a
signal battle was fought between the Saxons and Welsh, in which
Caradoc King of North Wales was slain. On this occasion a cele-
brated plaintive air was composed, called Morva Rhuddlan, or the
Red Marsh, and is still played with enthusiasm by the national
harpers ; but the original poem, commemorating this battle, no
longer exists.
Camden supposes that the first fort was built by Lhewelyn ap
Sitsylht, who reigned from the year 1015 to 1020, and that a
tumulus, still existing, at some distance from the present castle,
formed a part of it.
Mr. Pennant, from the life of Gruffydh ap Conan in the Sebright
M S. quotes the following passage : " It was a residence of our
princes from that time, but Gruffydh ap Lhewelyn in 1063 having
given offence to Edward the Confessor, by receiving Algar, one of
his rebellious subjects, was attacked by Harold, who in revenge,
burned the palace at Rhuddlan. It was soon restored, and as soon
lost. Robert de Rhuddlan, a valiant Norman, nephew to Hugh
Lupus, conquered it from the Welsh, and by the command of
William the Conqueror, fortified it with new works, and made it
his place of residence. Robert received here a visit from Prince
Gruffydh ap Kynan, who came to solicit aid against his enemies
from the Norman warriour, which he obtained; but on some
[ 142 ]
quarrel attacked him in his castle, took and burnt the bailey or
yard, and killed such a number of his men, that very few escaped
into the tower."
King Henry the Second after his defeat at Coed Eulo in Flintshire
A. D. 1157, retired to Ruthlan, fortified the castle, and gave the
government of it to Hugh de Bello-campo, or Beauchamp.
" In the year 1167 Owen Gwyneth Prince of North Wales,
Cadwalader his brother, and Rees Prince of South Wales laid siege
to the castell of Ruthlan, which the king had latelie built and
fortified, which the garrison defended manfullie and worthilie; yet
the princes would not depart until they had won it, which they
did at two moneths ende, and then rased it." Powel, p. 2,24.
In the year 1214, during the reign of King John, it was besieged
arid taken by Lhewelyn ap Jorwerth.
In the year 1277, King Edward the First came to Ruthlan and
fortified the castle, and in 1281 Prince Lhewelyn with his brother
David laid siege to it, but retired on the approach of the royal
army. After the treacherous death of the former unfortunate
prince, when the king had accomplished the subjection of Wales ;
the natives brought David unto him, whom he kept prisoner for
some time in Ruthlan castle, and afterwards put to death at
Shrewsbury.
A parliament was held at Ruthlan, and a statute issued by King
Edward in the twelfth year of his reign, called " Statutum Walliae,"
which may be seen at length in the appendix to the Statutes at
Large, vol. 9.
In the year 1399 this castle was seized by the Earl of Northum-
berland, previous to the deposition of King Richard the Second,
g
h
P
[ 143 ]
who dined here in his way to Flint Castle, from whence he was
carried prisoner to London.
A considerable part of this ancient castle is still standing ; its
form is irregular: the inner area approaches nearest to an octagon;
the entrances were at the north-west and south-east sid es ; the
towers round; three of which, on the north-west side, remain
tolerably entire : three sides were fortified by a deep fosse, walled ;
the fourth side, viz. the north-west, sloping down towards the river,
was defended by a high wall and square turrets, one of \vhich
remains, and the fragment of another.
The town of Ruthlan is situated near the banks of the river Clwyd,
which is navigable for small vessels; over it is a bridge of two
arches, which, from the date of 1595, and the arms of the see of
Saint Asaph, cut in the battlements, appears to have been either
repaired or rebuilt in the time of Bishop Hughes.
Camden says, " At Rhudlan (though it be now a mean village)
we find the manifest signs of a considerable town, as of the abbey
and hospitals, and of a gate, at least half a mile from the village ;
one of the towers in the castle is called Twr y Brenin, or the King's
Tower, and below the hill upon the bank of the river we find
another apart from the castle, called Twr Silod."
Bishop Tanner informs us, that there was here a house of black
friars before the year 1268, when Anian de Schonan, its prior, was
made Bishop of Saint Asaph. It suffered much in the wars between
King Edward the First, and Lhewelyn ap Gruffydh the last Prince
of Wales, but recovered, and subsisted till the dissolution, when it
was granted to Henry ap Harry, 32, Hen. 8. The same author adds
that there was an hospital near Ruthlan, as old as A. D. 1281.
[ 144 ]
The crusaders were received at Ruthlan by David ap Owen, who
(as I have before related) had forcibly seized the lawful inheritance
of his brother-in-law, Jorwerth Drwyndwn.
Lanelwy — Saint Asaph, in size, though not in revenues, may
serve the epithet of " paupercula" attached to it byGiraldus. From
its situation near the banks of the river Elwy, it derived the name
of Lanelwy, or the church upon the Elwy. Its foundation is attri-
buted to Kentigern (called in the Scottish histories St. Mungo),
who, being driven from his episcopal see at Glasgow, about the
year 543, is reported to have fled to Saint David at Menevia, where
residing for some time, Cathwallain Prince of Wales assigned him
a place for a monastery near the river Elwy, where he fixed an
episcopal see, over which he presided till the year 560, when,
being recalled to his native country of Scotland, he resigned the
bishopric to one of his disciples named Asaph. He at first built a
church of wood and lime, but afterwards renewed it of stone,
although he was therein much hindered and molested by a certain
prince named Malgo, or Maglocun, whose dwelling was six miles
thence at Deganwy ; but afterwards being assuaged, he permitted him
to place there an episcopal see, on which he bestowed both ample
possessions and privileges. There were assembled in that monas-
tery, no fewer than 965 brethren, who all lived under monastic
discipline, serving God with great abstinence, of which 300 who
were illiterate, he appointed to tilling of the ground, and guard of
the cattle out of the monastery : other 300 he assigned for prepar-
ing nourishment, and performing other necessary works within the
monastery, and 365, who were learned, he deputed to the celebrat-
ing of divine offices daily, not any of which without great necessity
[ 145 ]
he would permit to go out of the monastery, but ordained them
to remain there continually, as in God's sanctuary. And this
part of the convent he divided so into troops and companies, that
when one had finished the service of God in the church, another
presently came in and began it again; which being ended, a third
without any delay entered. By these means prayers were offered in
that church without any intermission, and the praises of God were
always in their mouths. Among them there was one named Asaph,
more especially illustrious for his descent and form, who from his
childhood shone brightly both with virtues and miracles, and daily
endeavoured to imitate his Master in all sanctity and abstinence.
To him the man of God bore ever after a particular affection, and
committed the care of the monastery to his prudence, and, in con-
clusion, appointed him his successor in the bishopric.
A still more detailed life of Saint Kentigern is given by Pinkerton
in his Lives of the Scottish Saints, which, referring to the foundation
of the cathedral church of St. Asaph, I shall insert as a curious do-
cument. This Saint having fled for protection from his enemies in
Scotland to Saint David at Menevia, could not rest till he had found
a fit place to build a fit tabernacle to our Lord. " Circuivit ergo
terram, et perambulavit earn, explorans situs locorum, qualitates
aeris, glebae ubertatem, pratorum et pascuarum ac sylvarum suffi-
cientiam, et caetera quae expectant ad Monasterii aedificandi commo-
ditatem. Cumque simul pergerent et per abrupta montium, per con-
cava vallium, per defossa terrarum, per condensa veprium, et per
opaca nemorum, per planicies saltuum, iricedentes, sermocinarentur
quae ad praesens spectabat negotium; ecce singularis ferus aper,
videlicet de sylva, candidus per totum, obviam processit, et ad
VOL. II. U
[ 146 ]
pedes Sancti accedens, caput agitans, aliquamtulum progrediens, et
iterum gradum figens, et retrospiciens, gestu quo potuit, Sancto, et
sociis ejus, ut ilium sequerentur, annuit. Quo viso, ammirantes
glorificaverunt in creaturis suis mira et inscrutabilia operantem, et
e vestigio sequebantur ductorem suum perambulantem aprum.
Cum autem pervenisset ad locum quern eis Dominus praedestina-
verat, aper substitit: terramque crebro pede percutiens, et dente
protenso cespitem cujusdam colliculi inibi constituti viscerare ges-
tiens, caput iterum atque iterum concutiendo, et ore grunierido,
ilium esse locum illis a Deo praeparatum et designatum, cunctis
liquido ostendit. Est autem locus super ripam fluminis constitutus,
quod Elgu vocatur, kc. Tune Sanctus flexis genubus gratias agens,
omnipotentem Dominuin adoravit, surgensque ab oratione, in no-
mine Domini locum et circumjacentia benedixit. Ac deinde in
testimoniurn ct signuni Salutis, et auspicium futurae Religionis,
ibidem Crucem figens, tentoria fixit."
Saint Asaph, a disciple of Kentigern, from whom the episcopal
see has derived its name, succeeded to the bishopric, and died A. D.
596. After his decease we have no certain records of his successors
for the long term of five hundred years. A bishop, by the name of
Chebur, accompanied Howel Dha to Rome, and another was present
at the synod held in Worcestershire by Saint Augustin in the year
603. Gilbert (though omitted by Godwin in his chronological se-
ries) is said to have been consecrated A. D. 1 143, and to have pre-
sided over the see for eight years. To him succeeded Geffrey, sur-
named Arthur, who was consecrated A. D. 1151, from whom the
series continues uninterrupted to the present day.
Adam, elected to this see. and consecrated A. D. 1175, had a long
[ 147 ]
controversy about the church of Keri in Montgomeryshire, in 1176,
which he endeavoured to wrest from the see of Saint David's, and
unite to his own at Saint Asaph. The spirited conduct of his op-
poser Giraldus on this occasion, and the curious circumstances at-
tending the dispute, have been fully detailed in the life of our
Author.
Reyner, consecrated A. D. 1 186, by Archbishop Baldwin, assisted
him in promoting the holy cause of the crusades. The Welsh
bishops, siding with their countrymen against King Henry, had their
bishoprics and churches so spoiled, that they were forced to live on
the charity of others. The Bishop of Bangor retired to the monastery
of St. Alban's in Hertfordshire, and lived with the lord abbot there,
till his revenues and jurisdiction were restored to him. Howel ap
Ednevet, the Bishop of Saint Asaph, found an asylum in Osney
Abbey in Oxfordshire, where he died, and was buried in 1247.
In the time of Anian the Second, surnamed de Schonaw, who was
Confessor to King Edward the First, the cathedral church was
burned to the ground, A. D. 1282; on which occasion he endea-
voured to remove the episcopal see to Ruthlan, where the king,
besides ground to build upon, promised a thousand marks towards
the edifice. Letters were written to Pope Martin the Fourth to pro-
cure leave for this translation; but either the pope's death, or the
circular letter of the Archbishop of Canterbury, exhorting the
bishop and canons to rebuild their church, prevented its removal.
Browne Willis, in his Appendix to the History of St. Asaph, No. VI.
p. 155, has inserted the king's letter, written in the year 1283, on
this occasion; wherein he states, that he had lately built a town at
Rodelan within the diocese of St. Asaph, in a spacious arid safe
[ 148 ] .
situation, to which a great concourse of the Welsh and English
inhabitants of the diocese resorted, that the cathedral church of
St. Asaph, distant from thence about two English leagues, was
placed in a solitary and champaigne spot, that its canons were
neither protected by fortresses, nor comforted by the society of any
neighbouring people; exposed, together with the body of their
Saint, to the continual incursions of robbers and pirates ; and the
place subjected to so many inconveniences, that even on the most
solemn feast-days, the dignitaries of the church had no audience,
and spake to the very stones. Having thus forcibly displayed the
melancholy situation of the episcopal see, he asks the Pope's con-
sent to translate it to Rodelan, a place, according to his own words),
" Insignior locus hujusmodi totius diocesis Assavensis," and con-
cludes by saying, " That if the pope knew the inconveniences of
the one, and the conveniences of the other situation, he would en-
treat them, even against their will, to remove the see from St.
Asaph to Ruthlan. — " Scimus etenim quod si summus Pontifex
commoditales et incommoditates loci cognoscerit utriusque, nos ad
faciendum quod petimus, allectivis precibus invitaret, etiam si
nollemus."
In the year 1284 King Edward granted the advowson of the
church of Ruthlan to Anian, in consideration of his having given
that of Eglwys-y-vach to the monastery of Aberconwy, lately re-
moved to Maynan. — About this time the cathedral was probably
rebuilt.
In the year 1402, during the episcopacy of John Trevaur the
Second, the cathedral, palace, and residentiary houses were burned by
Owen Glendwr. The ancient record of this event is preserved by
[ 149 ]
Browne Willis in his Appendix. — " Henri by the grace of God king
of Englande and of Fraunce, and lord of Irland, to the worshipful
fadre in God, the bishop of Bath our chauncellor greting. We late
you wite that we havying consideration howethe chirch cathedrall
of Saint Asaph with the steple, bells, quere, porch and vestiary, with
all other contentis, bokes, chaliz, vestimentis, and other ornaments,
as the bokes, stalles, deskes, altres, and all the aparaill longying to
the same church, was brent and utterly destroyed, and in likewys
the byshop's palays, and all his other three mannoirs no styk laft
in the last werre tyme of Wales; as we bene enformed by a sup-
plication presented to us in the behalve of the reverend fadre in
God our right trusty and well beloved Johan Lowe now bishop of
the savd cathedral chirche ; and it is so as it is saide, that both for
the exilitee of th' endowing of the sayd cathedral chirche, with
th' indisposition of the countree there, and also for lack and scar-
cetee of stuffee in all the coste both of freestone and tymber, the
said palays and manoirs be not like to be beldecl again withouten
our grace be shewed in that partie, notwithstanding that Robert
(Lancaster) late bishop of the said chirche cathedrall, and the saide
Johan now a bishop, have putte their great peyne and diligence to
amend suche parcels of the saide palays and manoirs as he now
reparelled.
" Wherefore we havynge consideration unto the premisses, have
of our grace especiale graunted unto the sayde Johan now byshop of
the sayde cathedrall chirche, that he from hensforth be quite and
fully discharged ageinst us and our heirs of all manour dismes and
quinzismes, and parcells of dismes and quinzismes, that have been
and shall be granted unto us or our heirs by the clergie of this our
[ 150 ]
royaume ; and of paying unto us or to our said heires the said
dismes or quinzismes or parcells of dismes and quinzismes, of the
which the saide Johan hath, be, or shall be grauntez, with other
prelates of this our royaume — Wherefore we will and charge you,
that hereupon ye do make lettres patentes under our grete seal in
due forme
" Geven under oure privie seal at oure Castell of Wyndesore the
xxiii day of Juylly, the yere of our regne xxi. A.D, 1442."
The cathedral appears to have remained in its desolate and ruined
state (the walls only standing), till the time of Bishop Redman,
who was consecrated A.D. 1472. He repaired the walls, new
roofed the church, and made the east window, and stalls in the
choir, as may be seen to this day, by his arms yet remaining in
divers parts of the fabric, and on the episcopal throne.
David ap Owen, promoted to this bishopric A.D. 1503, rebuilt
the episcopal palace, which had lain in ruins for an hundred years,
and made a bridge of timber over the river Clwyd, about a
quarter of a mile N. E. of St. Asaph, known at this day, by the
name of Pont Davydd Escob, or Bishop David's Bridge, which, be-
coming ruinous, was in the year 1 630 rebuilt at the county charge.
Henry Standish, consecrated A. D. 1518, gave 40l. to pave the
choir of St. Asaph, with which, as tradition reports, the organs were
bought, and his executors sued, for not having adhered to the
letter of his will.
Robert Wharton or Parfew, consecrated A. D. 1536, im-
poverished the see so much by letting out the lands belonging
to the bishopric on long leases, that of five episcopal palaces, viz.
Saint Asaph, Altmeliden, Landegla, Nannerch, and Saint Martin's,
C 151 ]
he is said to have left only the former to his successors ; thus
imitating the conduct of his predecessor Bishop Barlow at Saint
David's.
He is described by Wharton as, " Pessimus sedis suae episcopalis
dilapidator ; ex quinque domibus satis lauds, quas episcopi Assaven-
ses antea possiderunt, unicam, quae apud Assaviam sita est, succes-
soribus suis transmisit."
The next benefactor to this cathedral was Bishop Owen, conse-
crated A. D. 1629, who in the year 1631 made a new pulpit of
wainscot, fixed seats for the convenience of the audience, and new
built and beautified the episcopal throne; and in 1634, at his own
cost and charges, erected a new building adjoining his palace, on
the eastern side towards the garden, and the next year put up the
great and new organ in the cathedral, which was brought i'rom
London in the beginning of October, and played upon ; on which
occasion this distich was made :
" Magna silet campana, sonant tamen organa, Sancti
Asaphensis, honos, gloria, lausque Deo."
About the beginning of the year 1638, he caused the way between
the cathedral and parish church to be paved, and at the latter end
end of the year, the steeple and belfrey of the cathedral were re-
paired, and new made with boards, and the frame of the bells
re-edified, as was the school-house or loft in the lower end of the
parish church.
In consequence of the anarchy and confusion that attended the
great rebellion in 1641, this cathedral was most profanely dese-
crated by one Milles, who held the post-office and lived in the
[
bishop's house, selling wine and other liquors there ; he kept
horses and oxen in the body of the church, and fed calves in the
bishop's throne, and other parts of the choir ; he also removed the
font into his yard, set it in the ground, and made use of it for a
hog trough.
In the years J648, 1649, and 1650 various manors and lordships
belonging to the see were sold to the amount of £5297. 2s. 9±d.
Bishop Barrow, translated to St. Asaph A. D. 1669, repaired
several parts of the cathedral church, especially the north and
south isles, and new covered them with lead ; he caused the east part
of the choir to be wainscotted, and laid out a considerable sum of
money in building and repairing the palace, and the mill belonging
thereto. In 1678 he built an alms-house, and in the same year pro-
cured an act of parliament for uniting several sinecures, and appro-
priating livings for the repairs and better maintenance of his
cathedral church, which before his time subsisted totally upon
contributions ; he also bequeathed £200. towards a free-school
which he intended to have founded.
Bishop Fleetwood, consecrated A. D. 1708, paved a great part of
the church at his own expense with broad stone, and laid out
about £100. in adorning and painting the choir.
During the episcopacy of John Wynne, consecrated A. D. 1714,
nearly four hundred pounds were expended on the cathedral. The
top of the tower was leaded, and the upper part of the steeple put
into good repair, after a breach occasioned by a storm on the
second of February 1714, that blew down the top of the steeple,
which fell into the choir, and did much damage to the roof, organs,
and seats.
[ 153 ]
This cathedral, though a small building, is well kept, and bears
a neat appearance ; it has lately received a very conspicuous and
additional decoration in a fine window of painted glass, executed
by the late worthy and ingenious artist Mr. Egginton of Hands-
worth near Birmingham. Like Bangor, it is poor in monumental
antiquities, for it contains only one sepulchral effigy, supposed to
be that of David ap Owen, who died bishop of the see in the
year 1512.
Basinwerk — Leaving Lanelwy or St. Asaph, the Archbishop pro-
ceeded to the little cell of Basinwerk, where he and his attend-
ants passed the night. The original foundation of this monastery
has been much disputed by ancient writers ; and there has been
a difference of opinion respecting the order of monks who in-
habited it.
Bishop Tanner says that Ranulph earl of Chester began a monas-
tery about the year 1131, which was probably much improved,
and made an abbey of Cistercian monks by King Henry the Second,
about the year 1159. He also quotes a MS. note of Bishop Humfrys
stating, that King Henry founded originally at Basingwerk, a cell of
Templars, and that it was not made a house for Cistercian monks till
the year 1312. Dr. Powel, in his annotations on this chapter, is also
of the same opinion.
Leland, in his Itinerary, says, that the original inhabitants of this
monastery were white monks, called Fratres Grisei, an order that
was afore the conquest ; and in his Collectanea he styles it a Cis-
tercian abbey, and attributes its foundation to King Henry the
Second.
Dugdale places it amongst the Cistercian abbeys ; and by the
VOL. II. X
[ 154 ]
following passage proves that it existed in the time of the Earl of
Chester. — " Earl Ranulph gave to the monks of Basingwerk in
Flintshire, a hundred shillings yearly rent of his rents at Chester,
likewise Haliwell and Fulbroke, and the chappel of Basingwerk in
which they were at first seated, with the mills there."
By this document it appears evident, that not only a monastic
establishment existed at Basingwerk before the death of the Earl of
Chester in 1 153, but that their first situation was in the chapel of
Basingwerk. The same historian has also preserved the following
grants relating to this abbey :
Confirmatio donationum per Regem Henricum Secundum.
Carta Lhewellini Principis Norwalliae.
Carta Davidis filii ejusdem Lewellini, Principis Norwalliae, data
apud Coleshil, A. D. 1240.
In the first deed the king confirms all the grants and benefactions
made to the abbey by Ranulph Earl of Chester and other barons :
" Scilicet locum ilium in quo abbatia illorum fundata est cum mo-
lendinis quas juxta portam abbatiae habent."
The Welsh Chronicle informs us that King Henry, after his un-
successful expedition into North Wales A. D. 1157, built a house
near Basingwerk for the Templars.
From the above citations it is clear that a monastic establishment
existed at Basingwerk, previous to the foundation generally ascribed
to King Henry the Second in the year 1157, and that Ranulph Earl
of Chester was a considerable benefactor to it (if not the original
founder), having given them the chapel in which they were first
seated. Being mentioned as an abbey in the grants of Prince
Lhewelyn and his son David, dated A. D. 1240, we must set aside
[ 155 ]
the opinions of Bishop Humftys and Dr. Powel, who date the period
of its foundation so late as the year 1312-
I am inclined to think that this difference of dates and opinions
may have arisen from confounding a monastic establishment, which
certainly existed before the time of Henry the Second, with the
house of Knights Templars, which we know that king built A. D.
1159. From the epithet of " cellula" given to it by Giraldus,
we may suppose it was a building of no great magnitude in the
year 1188.
Considerable remains of a monastic building are now standing.
The architecture, a mixture of Saxon and early Gothic, is neither
remarkable for its elegance or good execution. It is situated at a
short distance from Holywell, on a gentle eminence above a valley,
watered by the copious springs that issue from St. Wenefrede's well,
and on the borders of a great marsh, which extends towards the
coast of Cheshire. Though surrounded by the busy clang of manu-
factories, copper works, cotton mills, fcc. &c. it has not yet quite lost
its solitary and sequestered appearance ; its mouldering walls are
shaded by some fine trees, and the lifeless trunk of an aged oak,
coeval probably with its original cloistered inhabitants, forms a
picturesque appendage to the surrounding ruins.
In the eighteenth year of King Edward the First, A. D. 1291, the
Abbot of Basingwerk held the following lands and possessions, of
the yearly value of £46. Us.
BONA ABBATIS DE BASINGWERK ANNO 18 EDWARD! I.
Abbas apud Basing habet 3 molindina £\ \ .
Item habet in villa de Haliwell redditus cum molendinis £5 .
[ 156 ]
Item habet grangiam de Fulbroke cum grangiis sub Priori 7 car-
rucarum cum aliis commoditatibus £3. 8s.
Item habet grangiam de Beggeburg 2 carrucarum £\ .
Item grangiam de Kelyng (Halken) cum Penlyn 4 carucatarum
et dimidiam, cum redditibus et aliis commoditatibus £i 1 . 10s.
Abbas habet 53 vaccas exitus £\ I. 13s.
Item habet M M oves, exitus, salve custodia £30.
Summa bonorum Abbatis de Basingwerk£"46. Us.
Besides these monastic antiquities, there are vestiges of an ancient
castle, adjoining to a vast dyke or ditch, which for many years was
supposed to be that made by Offa King of Mercia, until it was ascer-
tained by Mr. Pennant to be that of Watts.
Lord Lyttelton, in his History of King Henry the Second, says,
" This castle was demolished by the Welsh in the reign of King
Stephen." Various authors inform us that it was repaired by the
same king in the year 1157, after his great military expedition
against the Welsh. " Eodem anno Rex Henricus magnam paravit
expeditionem, ita ut duo milites de tota Anglia tertium invenirent
ad expugnandum Wallenses per terram et per mare."
" Intrans ergo Walliam Rex, extirpatis sylvis nemoribusque suc-
cisis, atque viis patefactis, castrum Roelent (Ruthlan) firmavit, alias
munitiones antecessoribus suis surreptas, potenter revocavit, castel-
lum etiam Basingewerc restauravit, et Wallensibus ad libitum sub-
jectis, cum triumpho Angliam repetivit."
In the year 1165 it was besieged and destroyed by Owen
Gwynedh.
The miraculous history of Saint Wenefrede and her well, was
most probably an invention of the monks of Basingwerk, after the
[ 157 ]
days of Giraldus, otherwise it would not have escaped the notice of
his superstitious pen.
The three military expeditions of King Henry into Wales, here
mentioned, have so much connection with its history, and in some
degree with this Itinerary, that I shall insert a short account of each
of them.
A. D. 1157. The first expedition into North Wales.
A. D. 1 162. The second expedition into South Wales.
A. D. J 165. The third expedition into North Wales.
This prince acceded to the English throne A- D. 1154, and (ac-
cording to the historian Hume) " possessed provinces in France,
which composed above a third part of the whole French monarchy,
and were much superior, in extent and opulence, to those territories
which were subjected to the immediate jurisdiction and government
of the king. The vassal was here more powerful than his liege
lord." He was engaged on military operations in Normandy when
he received intelligence of King Stephen's decease. Having in the
year 1155 reformed many abuses, enacted many salutary regula-
tions, and restored perfect tranquillity to his country, he again
crossed the seas in 1156 in order to frustrate the hostile attempts of
his brother Geoffrey, who, during his absence in England, had seized
some of his foreign possessions. The Welsh also had availed them-
selves of the same opportunity of rebelling. " But whilcst King
Henrie was about to recover and get backe the portions of his king-
dome, made away and dismembred by his predecessors, he was
informed that the Welshmen raised a rebellion against him; to
represse whose attempts he hasted foorth with all diligence. Now
at his first approch to their countrie, his souldiers being set upon
[ 158]
in the straits, were verie fiercelie put back by the enimies, insomuch
that a rumor ran how King Henrie was slaine, which pufled up
the Welshmen with no small hope, and dawnted the Englishmen
with great feare. In deed, diverse of the English nobilitie were
slaine, and amongst others, Eustace Fitz-John, and Robert de Curcy,
men of great honor and reputation. Those which escaped in re-
turning backe, not knowing that the king passed through the straits
without danger, declared to their fellowes that followed and were
approching to the said straits, that (so farre as they knew) the king
and all the residue were lost. These newes so discomforted the com-
panies, that Henrie of Essex, which bare the king's standard by right
of inheritance, threw downe the same, and fled ; which dishonorable
deed was afterward laid to his charge by one Robert de Mountfort,
with whom (by order taken of the king) he fought a combat in triall
of the quarrell, and was overcome ; but yet the king qualifieing the
rigor of the judgement by mercie pardoned his life, and appointed
him to be a shorne monke, and put into the abbey of Reading,
taking his lands and possessions into his hands as forfeited ; how-
beit this combat was not tried till about the 9th yeare of this king's
reigne.d
" Now the king hearing that his armie was discomfited, came to
his men, and shewing himselfe to them with open visage, greatlie
revived the whole multitude, and then proceeding against the eni-
mies, his people were afterwards more warie in looking to them-
selves, insomuch that at length (when the king prepared to invade
d A. D. llfiS. — About the same time there was a combate fought betweene Robert
Mountfort and Henrie de Essex, to trie which of them had begun the flight in the
voiage against the Welshmen in the marches. Powel, p. 219.
[ 159 ]
the Welshmen both by water and land,) they sought to him for
peace, and wholie submitted themselves to his grace and mercie.
About the same time, King Henrie builded the castell of Rutland,
(Ruthlan), the castell of Basingwerke, and one house also of
Templers."6
The account of this expedition being rather more circumstan-
tially related in the Welsh Chronicle, I shall not omit the insertion
of it. A. D. 1157 — "About this time the king gathered all his
power togither from all parts of England, intending to subdue all
North Wales, being thereunto procured and mooved by Cadwala-
der, whom the prince his brother, (Owen Gwynedh) had banished
out of the land, and bereaved of his living, and by Madoc ap Me-
redyth, Prince of Powys, who envied at the libertie of North Wales,
which knewe no lord but one. And so the king led his armie to
West Chester, and encamped upon the marsh called Saltney. Like-
wise Owen, like a valiant prince, gathered all his strength, and
came to the utter meares of his land, purposing to give the king
battell, and encamped himselfe at Basingwerk ; which thing, when
the king understood, he chose out of his armie diverse of the
cheefest bands, and sent certeine carles and lords with them towards
the princes camp, and as they passed the wood called Coed Eulo, f
' Hollinshed, Vol. III. p. 66.
f Mr. Pennant has thrown additional light on this battle, by describing the country
in which it happened. The straits mentioned by Giraldus, which proved so fatally
disastrous to the English army, are at a place called Eulo near Coleshill in Flintshire,
where there is a Castle, a narrow pass, and a wood called Coed Eulo. Henry having
rallied his men, gave the Welsh battle at Coleshill near Flint, which is sometimes
also called Counsylht. Owen Gwynedh, to counteract the well contrived plan of
King Henry, retired to a plain near St. Asaph, which still bears the name of Cil Owen,
or the retiring place of Owen, and from thence to a strong post named Bryn y pin,
[ 160 ]
David and Conan the princes sons met with them, and set upon
them fearslie, and what for the advantage of the ground, and for
the suddenness of the deed, the Englishmen were put to flight, and
a great number slaine, and the rest were pursued to the king's
campe. The king being sore displeased with that foile, remooved
his campe alongst the sea coast, thinking to passe betwixt Owen
and his countrie, but Owen foreseeing that, retired backe to a place
which is called this daie Gil Owen, (that is, the retire of Owen), and
the king came to Ruthlan. After that, Owen incamped and in-
trenched himself at Bryn y pin, and skirmished with the king's
men dailie, and in the meane while that the king was fortifyeing the
castell of Ruthlan, his navie which was guided by Madoc ap Mere-
dyth, prince of Powys, anchored in Anglesey, and put on land
the souldiours which spoiled two churches, and a little of the
countrie thereabouts. But as they returned unto their ships, all
the strength of the ile set upon them and killed them all, so that
none of those which robbed within the ile brought tidings how
they sped. Then the shipmen seeing that, liked not their lodging
there, but waid up anchors and went awaie to Chester. In the
meanetime, there was a peace concluded betwixt the king and the
prince, upon condition, that Cadwalader should have his lands
againe, and his brother should be his friend. Then the king
leaving the castells of Ruthlan and Basinwerke, well fortified and
which is situated on a lofty rock above the church in the parish of St. George, and is
now called Pen y pare. — Bryn Dychwelwch, or the eminence, on which Owen pro-
nounced the order, Retreat, by its name preserves the memory of the circumstance.
It lies over Pentre Bagilt, below Gadlys, and is supposed to have been the spot from
which he retired to Cil Owen. Pennant, Vol. I. p. 89.
maimed, after he had built a house thereby for the Templers,
returned to England. (Powel, p. 207). Thus ended the first royal
expedition into Wales ; to the honour of the Welsh, and to the dis-
grace of the English prince.
Peace was now re-established betwixt the King of England and
all the Princes of North and South Wales (Rhys, Prince of South
Wales, only excepted), who at last, by threats, was induced to ac-
cept the proposed terms, and appear at court. But on Roger Earl
of Clare's invading some of the lands, which by the late treaty had
been bestowed upon Prince Rhys ; this haughty chieftain again took
up arms, and (according to the words of the Welsh Chronicle)
" Seeing he could enjoy no part of his inheritance, but that he wan
by the sword, gathered his power, and entering Cardigan, left not
a castell standing in the countrie of those which his enimies had
fortified, and so brought all to his subjection ; wherewith the king
being sore offended, returned to South Wales, and when he saw he
could do no good, he suffered Rhys to enjoy all that he had gotten,
and took pledges of him to keep the peace in his absence."
In 1158 the king went into Normandy, where he remained till
the year 1 1 62, during which interval the Welsh had been engaged
in continual hostilities with each other. Henry, on his return, col-
lected a powerful army to revenge the injuries committed by Prince
Rhys during his absence abroad. He proceeded along the southern
coast of Wales to Caermarthen, and from thence to Pencadair, where
Prince Rhys met him and did him homage, and delivered up hos-
tages, as pledges of his future good behaviour ; but his ambitious
and restless spirit would not suffer him to remain long inactive,
for in the following year he made so many acquisitions and
VOL. II. Y
[ 162]
advantageous attacks on the property of his neighbours, " That the
rest of the estates of Wales perceiving Prince Rhys to prosper so
successfully against the English, thought they might be equally for-
tunate, and shake off the yoke which so unreasonably oppressed
them."
A most powerful combination was therefore formed by the Welsh
princes against the English in the year 1165. " Prince Owen and
his brother Cadwalader, with all the power of North Wales ; the
Lord Rees, with all the power of South Wales ; Owen Cyvelioc and
the sonne of Madoc ap Meredyth, with the power of Powys ; and
the two sonnes of Madoc ap Ednerth, with the people betwixt Wye
and Scaverne, gathered themselves together, and came to Corwen s
in Edeyrneon, purposing to defend their countrie." On the other
side. King Henry having levied an army of most chosen men
throughout all his dominions of England, Normandy, Anjou, Gas-
coigne, and Guienne, arid received succours from Flanders and Brit-
tany, marched towards North Wales, " minding utterlie to destroie
all that had life in that land. Powel, p. 221.
" He encamped at Croes Oswalt, or Oswestree, and understanding
that the enemy was so nigh, being wonderfull desirous of battel,
came to the river Ceireoc,h and caused the woods to be hewen
downe. Whereupon a number of the Welshmen understanding the
g Corwen is a small village under the Berwyn hills, situated in the Vale of Dee, on
the great road leading to Ireland by Holyhead. At a short distance from this village,
on the opposite side of the Dee, is an ancient fortress on a hill, supposed to have been
the post occupied by Owen Gwynedh when King Henry was encamped OH the Berwyn
hills; and Mr. Pennant says, that he was informed that the place of his encampment
was marked by a rampart of earth above the church of Corwen, southward.
* The river Ceiriog has its source in the Berwyn mountains, and empties its waters
into the river Dee below Chirk.
[ 163 ]
passage, unknowing to their captaines, met with the king's ward
where were placed the piked men of all the armie, and there began
a hote skirmish, where diverse worlhie men were slaine on either
side, but in the end the king wanne the passage, and came to the
mountaine of Berwyn, where he laie in campe certaine daies, and
so both the armies stood in awe each of other, for the king kept
the open plaines, and was affraid to be intrapped in straits ; but the
Welshmen watched for the advantage of the place, and kept the
king so straitlie, that neither forage nor victuall might come to his
camp, neither durst anie soldiour stirre abroad ; and to augment
these miseries, there fell such raine, that the king's men could scant
stand upon their feete upon those slipperie hilles. In the end the
king was compelled to returne home without his purpose, and that
with great losse of men and munition, besides his charges. There-
fore in a great choler he caused the pledges eies (whom he had re-
ceived long before that) to be put out, which were Rees and Cad-
walhon, the sonnes of Owen; and Cynwric and Meredyth. the sonnes
of Rees, and other."1 Thus ended the last and most unfortunate of
1 The historian Hollinshed relates the particulars of this expedition very differently
from the Welsh Chronicle, and attributes very partially the victory to the English
monarch. He says, " A. D. 1 165 — The Welshmen this yeare spoiled a great part of
those countries that bordered upon them ; wherewith the king being sore moved levied
an armie with all speed, as well of Englishmen as strangers, and (without regard of
difficulties and dangers) did go against the rebels, and finding them withdrawne into
their starting holes (I meane the woods and strait passages) he compassed the same
about in verie forceable maner. The Welshmen perceiving themselves now to be
brought into such jeopardie, as that they could not well devise how to escape the same,
consulted what was best to be done. After consultation, casting awaie their weapons,
they came forth to the king, asking mercie, which somewhat hardlie they obleined.
Few of them were executed in comparison of the numbers that offended ; but yet the
capteines and cheefe authors of this rebellion were so punished, that it was thought
[ 164 ]
the three expeditions of King Henry against the Welsh, here alluded
to by Giraldus.
they would never have presumed so rashlie to offend him in like sort againe. — For (as
some writers affirme) he did justice on the sonnes of Rees, and also on the sonnes and
daughters of other noble men that were his complices, very rigorouslie ; causing the
eies of the young striplings to be pecked out of their heads, and their noses to be cut
off or slit; and the eares of the young gentlewomen to be stuffed." Hollinshed,
Vol. III. p. 73.
[ 165 ]
CHAPTER XI.
RIVER DEE— CHESTER.
HAVING crossed the river Dee below Chester (which the Welsh call
Doverdwy), on the third festival before Easter, or the day of abso-
lution, we reached Chester. As the river Wye towards the south
separates Wales from England, so the Dee near Chester forms the
northern boundary. The inhabitants of these parts assert, that the
waters of this river change their fords every month, and, as it in-
clines more towards England or Wales, they can, with certainty,
prognosticate which nation will be successful or unfortunate during
the year. This river derives its origin from the lake Penmelesmere,
and although it abounds with salmon, yet none are found in the
lake. It is also remarkable, that this river is never swollen by
rains, but often rises by the violence of the winds.
Chester boasts of being the burial place of Henry, a Roman em-
peror, who, after having imprisoned his carnal and spiritual father,
Pope Paschal, gave himself up to penitence, and becoming a volun-
tary exile in this country, ended his days in solitary retirement.
It is also asserted, that the remains of Harold are here deposited ;
he was the last of the Saxon kings in England, and as a punishment
for his perjury, was defeated in the battle of Hastings, fought
against the Normans. Having received many wounds, and lost
his left eye by an arrow in that engagement, he is said to have
[ 166 ]
escaped to these parts, where, in holy conversation, leading the
life of an anachorite, and being a constant attendant at one of the
churches of this city, he is believed to have terminated his days
happily. The truth of these two circumstances was declared (and
not before known) by the dying confession of each party. We saw
here, what appeared novel to us, cheese made of deer's milk ; for
the countess and her mother keeping tame deer, presented to the
Archbishop three small cheeses made from their milk.
In this same country was produced, in our time, a cow partaking
of the nature of a stag, resembling its mother in the fore parts, and
the stag in its hips, legs, and feet, and having the skin and colour
of the stag : but partaking more of the nature of the domestic than of
the wild animal, it remained with the herd of cattle. A bitch also
was pregnant by a monkey, and produced a litter of whelps resem-
bling the monkey before, and the dog behind : which the rustic
keeper of the military hall seeing with astonishment arid abhor-
rence, immediately killed with the stick he carried in his hand;
thereby incurring the severe resentment and anger of his lord,
when he became acquainted with the circumstance.
In our time also, a woman was born in Chester without hands,
to whom nature had supplied a remedy for that defect, by the
flexibility and delicacy of the joints of her feet, with which she
could sew, or perform any work with thread or scissars, as well as
other women.
[ 167 ]
ANNOTATIONS ON CHAPTER XL
CHESTER — This city bore, in ancient times, the name of Caer lleon
ar Ddyfrdwy, that is, the city of legions on the river Dee, and
of Caerleon Gawr or Vawr, which has by some been interpreted the
city of the great legion, and by others the city of Lleon the Great,
who was son of Brut Darian Las, the eighth king of Britain; but
as we know, for a certainty, that it was the principal station of the
twenieth legion, or the LEGIO VICESIMA VALENS VICTRIX, we may
reasonably give it the former derivation. In its construction and
situation it is as unlike any city in England, as Venice is unlike
any one in Italy. I must refer those who wish to be better ac-
quainted with its history and antiquities to Mr. Pennant, who, in
the first volume of his Tour through Wales, has given a very
particular account of it.
The lake of Penmelesmere — Is, in modern days, better known by
the name of Bala pool. The river Dee rises in a valley leading from
Bala to Dolgelley, and receives several contributory streams before
it enters the lake, which bears various names, viz. Llyn Tegid, or
the lake of fair aspect ; Penmelesmere, or Pimble Mere, both of
which names are a corruption from Pymplwy meer, or the mcer of
the five parishes adjoining the lake, Landervel, Llanvawr, Lla-
nyckill, Llanwchllyr, and Llangower. It is thus mentioned by
Leland :
[ 168 ]
" Hispida qua tellus Mervinia respicit Eurum,
Est lacus antique Penhlinum nomine dictus,
Hie lacus illimeis in valle Tegeius alta
Late expandit aquas, et vastum conficit orbem ;
Excipiens gremio latices, qui fonte perenni,
Vicinis recidunt de montibus, atque sonoris
Illecebris captas demulcent suaviter aures."
The assertion made by Giraldus, of salmon never being found
in the lake of Bala, is not founded on truth, for these fish pass up
the river Dee from its jestuary at Chester, and even through the
lake to the rivers above it, in order to deposit their spawn ; being
contrary to the nature of this restless fish, to remain in still water
they, of course, are never caught in the pool ; but that they are
temporary inhabitants of it, is very certain, for they are frequently
seen and speared on their passage up the rivers at the head of the
lake. The gwyniad,' a white and insipid fish, seems peculiar to
' The gwyniad, which by naturalists is supposed to be the same fish distinguished
by the name of ferra, and which is to be found in the lake of Geneva in Switzerland,
has been fully described by Willoughby and Pennant; the latter of whom gives the
following account of it. This fish is an inhabitant of several of the lakes in ihe Alpine
parts of Europe; it is found in those of Switzerland, Savoy, and Italy; of Norway,
Ireland, and of Cumberland, and in the lake of Bala. It is the same with the ferra of
the lake of Geneva, the schelly of Ulswater in Cumberland, the pollen of Lough
Neagh, and the vangis of Loch Mahon. The Scotch have a tradition, that this fish
was first introduced there by the beauteous and unhappy Queen Mary. It is a grega-
rious fish, and approaches the shores in vast shoals in spring and summer; "but it
defies the skill of the most expert angler, as it never takes any bait, and ean only be
caught in a net. On opening them, I found they fed on very minute snails." It is a
fish of a very insipid taste, and must be eaten soon after it is taken. The head is
small, smooth, and of a dusky hue ; the eyes very large, the pupil of a deep blue ; the
[ 169 ]
this lake : they herd together like herrings, and are never caught
but with a net. The lake, as well as the river, abounded for-
merly with pike, which grew to a very great size ; when a sudden
and violent flood in the year 1781 so disturbed the waters of the
lake, that these fish disappeared, and not one of that species has
ever since been taken either in the pool, or in the adjoining rivers .
The fish of this lake are now confined to trout, perch, gwyniad,
and eels. The lake of Bala extends about four miles in length,
from SW. to NE. and is not quite a mile in breadth. At the
bottom stands the market town of Bala, consisting chiefly of one
long and wide street, at the end of which is a large tumulus called
Tommen y Bala. Near the exit of the river Dee from the pool
nose blunt at the end, the jaws of equal length, the mouth small and toothless, the
branchioslegous rays nine ; the covers of the gills silvery, powdered with black. The
back is a little arched, and slightly carinated ; the color, as far as the lateral line,
glossed with deep blue and purple, but towards the lines assumes a silvery cast, tinged
with gold, beneath which those colours entirely prevail. The side line is quite straight,
and consists of a series of distinct spots of a dusky hue ; the belly is a little prominent,
and quite flat on the bottom. The first dorsal fin is placed almost in the middle, and
consists of fourteen branched rays; the second is thin, transparent, and not distant
from the tail. The pectoral fins had eighteen rays, the first the longest, the others
gradually shortening ; the ventral fins were composed of twelve, and the anal of fifteen,
all branched at their ends; the ventral fins in some are of a fine sky blue; in others,
as if powdered with blue specks; the ends of the lower fins are tinged with the same
colour. The tail is very much forked ; the scales large, and adhere close to the body.
The largest gwyniad we ever heard of, weighed between three and four pounds; we
have a ferra, brought with us from Switzerland, that is fifteen inches long; but these
are uncommon sizes ; the fish I have described was eleven inches long, and its greatest
depth three.
In shape and size, it bears a greater resemblance to the herring, than to any
other fish I know. It seems to have derived the name of gwyniad, from its white
colour, gwynn, in British, signifying white ; and gwyniad mor, is the name of the
whiting.
VOL. II. Z
- [ 170 ]
adjoining the bridge, there are vestiges of another raised earthen
work, which seems to have been intersected by the road : here the
Roman road, leading from the station of Mediolanum in Montgo-
meryshire, to that of Heriri Mons, or Tommen y Mur in Merioneth-
shire, traversed the valley; and continued its course either through
or very near the present town of Bala, to the Miltirr Gerrig, or
stone mile, and from thence through Bwlch y-buarth to Tommen
y Mur. At the top of the lake, the very conspicuous Roman
station at Caer Gai, abounding with brick and tile, seems to indi-
cate the course of a Roman road near it, which, in that case, must
have come from Dolgelley, and passed through Bala. The banks
of the lake are in general cultivated; but here, as well as in almost
every other part of Wales, the scanty remains of wood decrease
daily. The boundaries of this lake are very grand : on the right is
the mountain called Arrennig Vawr ; facing it, on the left, is the
majestic and cragged Arran, and the centre of the perspective is
finely filled up with a distant view of Cadair Idris.
Giraldus seems to have been mistaken respecting the burial
place of the Emperor Henry V. for he died May 23, A. D. 1 125, at
Utrecht, and his body was conveyed to Spire for interment. — " Ac
postquam intestina ibidem fuerint sepulta, per Coloniam Agrippi-
nam deportatus, in civitate Spira, juxta patrem, avum, proavum,
imperatores, culto regio sepelitur." This emperor had a long and
violent dispute with Pope Paschall the Second, on the subject of
certain rights and investitures, which arose at length to such a
degree of violence, that the emperor arrested the Pope in his own
capital, A. D. 1 1 1 1 : a bloody battle ensued on the banks of the
Tiber, in consequence of a spirited attempt of the Romans to rescue
their pontiff from the Germans : the emperor was unhorsed, and
wounded in the face ; but liberated from the hands of the enemy
by Otho Count of Milan, who was taken prisoner, and barbarously
put to death. The Pope was detained in prison for eight weeks,
and not released until he had engaged to crown the emperor, and
abandon the privileges he had claimed.
[172]
CHAPTER XII.
THE WHITE MONASTERY— OSWALDESTREE— POWYS— SHREWSBURY.
THE feast of Easter having been observed with due solemnity, and
many persons, by the exhortations of the Archbishop, signed with
the cross ; we directed our way from Chester to the White monastery,
and from thence toward Oswaldestree ; where, on the very borders
of Powys, we were met by Gruffydh, son of Madoc, and Elissa,
princes of that country, and many others ; some few of whom hav-
ing been persuaded to take the cross (for several of the multitude
had been previously signed by Reiner,1 the bishop of that place),
Gruffydh prince of the district publicly abjured, in the presence of
the Archbishop, his cousin-german Angharad, daughter of Prince
Owen, whom, according to the vicious custom of the country, he
had long considered as his wife. We slept at Oswaldestree, or the
tree of Saint Oswald, and were most sumptuously entertained after
the English manner, by William, son of Alan, a noble and liberal
young man. A short time before, whilst Reiner was preaching, a
robust youth being earnestly exhorted to follow the example of his
1 By the Latin context it would appear, that Reiner was Bishop of Oswestree;
" Ab episcopo namque loci illius Reinerio multitude fuerat ante signata." Reiner
succeeded Adam in the bishopric of Saint Asaph in the year 1186, and died in 1220:
he had a residence near Oswestry, at which place, previous to the arrival of Baldwin,
he had signed many of the people with the cross.
[173]
companions in taking the cross, answered, " I will not follow your
advice until, with this lance which I bear in my hand, I shall have
avenged the death of my lord ;" alluding to Owen, son of Madoc, a
distinguished warrior, who had been maliciously and treacherously
slain by Owen de Cyfeilioc, his cousin-german : and while he was
thus venting his anger and revenge, and violently brandishing his
lance, it snapped suddenly asunder, and fell disjointed in several
pieces to the ground, the handle only remaining in his hand :
alarmed and astonished at this omen, which he considered as a
certain signal for his taking the cross, he voluntarily offered his
services.
In this third district of Wales, called Powys, there are most ex-
cellent studs put apart for breeding, and deriving their origin from
some fine Spanish horses, which Robert de Belesme Earl of
Shrewsbury brought into this country : on which account the
horses sent from hence are remarkable for their majestic proportion,
and astonishing fleetness.
Here King Henry the Second entered Powys, in our days, upon
an expensive, though fruitless, expedition:1 having dismembered
the hostages, whom he had previously received, he was compelled,
by a sudden and violent fall of rain, to retreat with his army ; on
the preceding day, the chiefs of the English army had burned some
of the Welsh churches, with the villages and churchyards : upon
which the sons of Owen the Great, with their light- armed troops,
stirred up the resentment of their father and the other princes of
the country, declaring that they would never in future spare any
* This expedition into Wales took place A. D. 1 165, and has been already described
in the Annotations on Chapter X;
[ 174 ]
churches of the English : when nearly the whole army was on the
point of assenting to this determination; Owen, a man of distin-
guished wisdom and moderation, the tumult being in some degree
subsided, thus spake: " My opinion, indeed, by no means agrees
with yours, for we ought to rejoice at this conduct of our adver-
sary ; for, unless supported by divine assistance, we are far inferior
to the English; and they, by their behaviour, have made God
their enemy, who is able most powerfully to avenge both himself
and us." After which, the English army, on the following night,
experienced (as has before been related) the divine vengeance.
From Oswaldestree, we directed our course towards Shrewsbury,
which is nearly surrounded by the river Severn, where we remained
a few days to rest and refresh ourselves ; and where many persons
were induced to take the cross, through the gracious sermons of
the Archbishop and Archdeacon. We also excommunicated Owen
de Cyfeilioc, because he alone, amongst the Welsh princes, did not
come to meet the Archbishop with his people. Owen was a man
of more fluent speech than his contemporary princes, and was con-
spicuous for the good management of his territory. Having gene-
rally favoured the royal cause, and opposed the measures of his
own chieftains, he had contracted a great familiarity with King
Henry the Second Being with the king at table at Shrewsbury,
Henry, as a mark of peculiar honour and regard sent him one of
his own loaves : he immediately brake it into small pieces, like
bread given away in charity ; and having, like an almoner, placed
them at a distance from him, he took them up one by one and ate
them : the king requiring an explanation of this proceeding ; Owen,
with a smile, replied, " I thus follow the example of my lord,"
[ 175 ]
keenly alluding to the avaricious disposition of the king, who was
accustomed to retain for a long time in his own hands, the vacant
ecclesiastical benefices.
Three princes, distinguished for their justice, wisdom, and princely
moderation, ruled, in our time, over the three provinces of Wales :
Owen, son of Gruffydh, in Venedotia, or North Wales: Meredyth,
his grandson, son of Gruffydh, who died early in life, in South
Wales ; and Owen de Cyfeilioc in Powys. But two other princes
were highly celebrated for their generosity ; Cadwalader, son of
Gruffydh, in North Wales, and Gruffydh of Maelor, son of Madoc,
in Powys : and Rhys, son of Gruffydh, in South Wales, deserved
commendation for his enterprising and independent spirit. In
North Wales, David, son of Owen, and on the borders of Morgan-
noc in South Wales, Howel, son of Jorwerth of Caerleon, main-
tained their good faith and credit, by observing a strict neutrality
between the Welsh and English.
ANNOTATIONS ON CHAPTER XII.
SOME difficulty occurs in fixing the situation of the Album Monas-
terium, mentioned in the text, as three churches in the county of
Shropshire bore that appellation: the first at Whitchurch; the
second at Oswestry ; the third at Alberbury. In order to ascertain
[ "6]
the true position of this monastery, we must examine the passage
in the text : " We directed our way from Chester to the White
Monastery, and from thence towards Oswaldestree : where, on the
very confines of Powys, we were met by Gruffydh, son of Madoc,"
&c. fcc. " Hie itaque festo clcbita solemnitate complete, versus Album
Monasterium her aggressi surnus, et inde versus Oswaldestree, ubi
tanquam in ipsa Powisiensis ora, occurrerunt nobis Powisiae prin-
cipes," fcc. From this sentence every reader will naturally con-
clude, that the White Monastery was situated between Chester and
Oswestry ; and so is Whitchurch : at which place I am inclined to
place it, contrary to the opinion of Mr. Pennant, who fixes it at
Oswestry, saying, " Some writers entertain doubts whether this
place was the Album Monasterium visited by Giraldus, and en-
deavour to fix it at Whitchurch ; but those may easily be removed,
when it is certain that it was in Powys land ; a pretension that the
other has no claim to." Mr. Pennant seems to have mistaken the
word ubi, where : which evidently applies to Oswestry, and not
to the White Monastery ; for at that period Oswestry was situated
near the eastern borders of Powys land. Before King Offa's time,
the principality of Powys reached eastward to the rivers Dee and
Severn, in a right line from the end of Broxen Hills to Salop,
and comprehended all the country between the Wye and Severn;
but after the making of Ofia's Dyke, its limits were somewhat con-
tracted, and extended in length from Pulfbrd Bridge north-east, to
the confines of Cardiganshire, in the parish of Lhanguric, in the
south-west ; and in breadth, from the furthest part of Cyfeilioc
westward, to Ellesmere on the east side." Bishop Tanner is inclined
to place the Album Monasterium at Whitchurch ; and doubts even
[ 177 ]
of the existence of any monastery at Oswestry : which, however,
Leland seems to establish, for he mentions the monuments and
cloisters of the monks, and says that the church stood without the
new gate, on the southern side of the town. — Would our travellers,
therefore, on their road from the north, have passed through the
town of Oswestry to the White Monastery, and afterwards used the
expression, " et inde versus Oswaldestree" — and from thence towards
Oswestry? or could this last word " towards" ever have been ap-
propriately applied by Giraldus to two places so immediately ad-
joining each other as the town and church of Oswestry ? The nar-
rative of our author is so simple, and corresponds so well with the
topography of the country through which they passed, that I think
no doubt ought to be entertained about the course of their route.
From Chester they directed their way to the White Monastery, or
Whitchurch, and from thence towards Oswestry, where they slept»
and were entertained by William Fitz Alan after the English mode
of hospitality. Had the Album Monasterium been at Oswestry, the
Archbishop and his attendants would most probably have taken
up their abode there for the night, and not in the fortified town
near it.
William son of Alan— In the time of William the Conqueror,
Alan, the son of Flathald, or Flaald, obtained, by the gift of that
king, the castle of Oswaldster, with the territory adjoining, which
belonged to Meredith ap Blethyn, a Briton. This Alan having
married the daughter and heir to Warine, Sheriff of Shropshire,
had in her right the barony of the same Warine. To him succeeded
William, his son and heir. He founded the abbey of Haghmon, in
Shropshire, the priory of Wombrigge, in the same county, and
VOL. ii. A a
[ 178 ]
made great benefactions to the Knights Templars, the monks of
Shrewsbury, Bildewas, and Cumbermere. In the reign of King
Stephen he favoured the cause of Queen Maud against that mo-
narch, and bravely defended the castle of Shrewsbury (of which
he was at that time governor), until it was taken from him by
assault. He also attended her at the siege of Winchester, and still
faithfully adhering to her, was appointed Sheriff of the county of
Salop on the accession of her son Henry to the crown ; In which
office he continued until his death. He married Isabel de Say,
daughter and heir to Helias de Say, niece to Robert Earl of Glou-
cester, Lady of Clun ; and left issue by her, William, his son and
successor, who, in the 19th Henry II. or before, departed this life,
leaving William Fitz Alan his son and heir ; which William, in
the year 1188, gave a sumptuous entertainment at his castle of
Oswaldester to Baldwin, Archbishop of Canterbury, when that pre-
late made his progress through Wales. He died 16th of John, or
before ; and his only son and heir dying soon afterwards, his estates
devolved to John Fitz Alan, his brother.2
Robert de Belesme — Earl of Shrewsbury, was son of Roger de
Mountgomery, a noble Norman, who led the centre division of the
army in that memorable battle which secured to William the con-
quest of England, and for his services was advanced to the earldoms
of Arundel and Shrewsbury. His first wife was Mabel, daughter
and heir to William Talvace (son of William son of Ivo de Belesme,
a person of great power and note in Normandy,) with whom he had
a large inheritance. By this Mabel he had five sons and four daugh-
ters ; of whom Robert de Belesme, here mentioned by Giraldus,
* Dugdale Baronage, Tom. I. p. 314.
[ 179 ]
was the eldest. He died in the year 1094, and was buried in the
priory at Shrewsbury, where his monument is still visible. On the
death of his father Roger de Mountgomery, Robert de Belesme suc-
ceeded to the Norman property ; and on the death of his brother,
Hugh de Mountgomery, to the earldoms of Arundel and Shrews-
bury in England. He was knighted in Normandy by William the
Conqueror in the year 1073, and became a great favourite of that
prince : out no sooner was the Conqueror dead, but his turbulent
and rebellious disposition began to shew itself. He seized on several
of the royal forts and garrisons, and joined with Odo Earl of Kent
against William Rufus, with whom a reconciliation was effected by
the intercession of his father Roger de Mountgomery. He afterwards
took part with Robert Curthose against King Henry the First; and on
being summoned to answer the treasonable charges alleged against
him, fled to his castles, which he had strongly fortified : but at last
he was under the necessity of imploring the royal mercy. The
king confiscated his estates, deprived him of his honours, and ba-
nished him from his realm. Yet the wealth which he had treasured
up in thirty-four strong castles, formerly built for his rebellious pur-
poses, supported him sufficiently ; but his restless spirit formed new
conspiracies even in exile, and were carried to such a dangerous
length, that the king, considering that no favour could win him,
nor oath or promise oblige him, summoned him before his court of
justice, where he was by judgment committed to close imprison-
ment, and sufficiently secured for the remainder of his life.
The character of this Robert de Belesme has been drawn by an
ancient historian, as a very subtile, crafty, and deceitful man ; big
of body, strong, bold ; powerful in arms, and eloquent ; but exceed-
[ 180]
ingly cruel, covetous, and libidinous. A person of great insight in
serious affairs, and unwearied in his managery of worldly business ;
likewise a most ingenious architect ; but for inflicting of torments a
most inexorable butcher .b No friend at all to the church, but a vile
and wretched oppressor. For which his wickedness, he underwent
the sentence of excommunication by the venerable Serlo, Bishop of
Sees, all his lands being interdicted, so that there was no burial
therein, yet nothing was he reformed by any of these means. In
brief, there can be no higher expressions of the most barbarous and
cruel tyrant that ever was, than is of him ; his severity being exer-
cised not only to strangers, but even to friends and familiars ; glo-
rying and making his boast amongst his parasites of those his
unparalleled inhumanities." Another of our ancient writers speaks
of Robert de Belesme in still stronger terms of contempt : — ;' Vidisti
Robertum de Belesme, qui Princeps Normannensis in carcerem po-
situs; erat Pluto, Megera, Cerberus, 8cc." — " Thou hast seen Robert
de Belesme, a Prince in Normandy, cast into prison. He was a
Pluto, Megera, Cerberus, or whatsover else can be expressed that
is most horrid."0
This earl took to wife Agnes, the daughter of Guy Earl of Pen-
thien, whom he used most barbarously; by her he left one son,
William, sirnamed Talvace, against whom King Henry the First
was much incensed, but at the earnest entreaty of his daughter, the
b " Erat enim ingenio subtilis, dulosus et versipellis, corpore magnus et fortis, audax
et potens in armis, eloquens, nimiumque crudelis, et avaritia et libidine inexplebilis,
perspicax seriorum commentor operum, et in exercitiis mundi gravissimorum patiens
Jaboium. In extruendis icditiciis et inachinis, aliisque arduis operibus ingeniosus arti-
fex, et in torquendis hominibus inexorabilis artifex." Ordericus Vitalis, p. 6?5.
* Dugdale Baronage, Tom. I. p. 29, 31.
3
Empress Maud, he at last received him into favour, and permitted
him to enjoy all his father's inheritance in Normandy.
The princes mentioned by Giraldus as the most distinguished
characters in North and South Wales, are,
1 . Owen, son of Gruffydh, in North Wales.
2,. Meredyth, son of Gruffydh, in South Wales.
3. Owen de Cyveilioc, in Powys.
4. Cadwalader, son of Gruffydh, in North Wales.
5. Gruffydh of Maelor, in Powys.
6. Rhys, son of Gruffydh, in South Wales.
7. David, son of Owen, in North Wales.
8. Howel, son of Jorwerth in South Wales.
Of these princes some interesting memorials may be collected from
the Welsh Chronicle, and other ancient historians.
1. Owen Gwynedh, son of Gruffydh ap Conan, died A. D. 1 169,
and was succeeded by his son David ap Owen ; he governed his
country well and worthily for the space of thirty-two years ; he was
fortunate and victorious in all his affairs, and never took any enter-
prize in hand but he atchieved it.
2. Meredyth ap Gruffydh ap Rhys, Lord of Caerdigan and
Stratywy, died A. D. 1153, at the early age of twenty- five years.
He was a worthy knight, fortunate in battle, just and liberal to all
men.
3. Owen Cyveilioc was the son of Gruffydh ap Meredyth ap
Blethyn, who was created Lord of Powys by King Henry the First ;
he died about the year 1197, and left his principality to his son
Genwynwyn, from whom that part of Powys was called Powys
[ 182 ]
Genwynwyn, to distinguish it from Powys Vadoc, the possession
of the Lords of Bromfield.
The death of this prince is merely noticed in the Welsh Chro-
nicle, without any eulogium as to his character or military exploits,
which may be accounted for by his general adherence to the royal
cause against his countrymen the Welsh. To acuteness and good
judgment in the government of his territory, and to a warlike and
independent spirit he added the milder accomplishments of poetry,
and the liberal enjoyments of convivial hospitality. The poems
ascribed to him possess great spirit, and prove that he was, as Giral-
dus terms him, " linguae dicacis," in its best sense: his poem of the
Hirlas, which is an address to his cup-bearer, after the celebrated
battle fought in Maelor, A. D. 1 165, against King Henry the Second,
is on a princely subject, and has been treated by him in a princely
manner. Like Baldwin, he also made the tour of Wales, not, in-
deed, to preach the crusade, but to enjoy the festive conviviality
of the British chieftains ; and he has recorded this journey in another
poem.c
4. Cadwalader, son of GrufFydh ap Conan, Prince of North Wales,
died A. D. 1172.
5. Gruffydh of Maelor was son of Madoc ap Meredyth ap Blethyn,
Prince of Powys, who died at Winchester, A. D. 1 160. " This man
was ever the King of England's friend, and was one that feared God,
and relieved the poor ; his body was conveyed honorably to Powys,
and buried at Myvod." His son Grufiydh succeeded him in the
c As the insertion of these long poems would cause too great an interruption in the
narrative of the Itinerary, I shall defer them to the close of this Book.
[ 183 ]
lordship of Bromfield, and is recorded as a noble and wise man,
and one that in liberality passed all the lords and noblemen of his
time ; he died about the year 1 1 90, and was buried at Myvod.
6. Rhys ap GrufFydh, or the Lord Rhys, was son of Gruffydh
ap Rhys ap Theodor, who died in the year 1137. The ancient
writers have been very profuse in their praises of this celebrated
prince. In Higden's Polychronicon we find the following curious
character of Rhys : — " This yere deyed Rees Prynce of Wales ;
of hym one sayde in this manner: — " O blysse of batayle ;
chylde of chyvalry ! defence of countree ! worshypp of armes !
arme of strength ! hande of largenesse ! eye of reson ! brygtnesse
of honeste ! berynge in breste Hectour's prowesse, Achilles's sharp-
nesse, Nestour's sobernesse, Tydeus' hardynesse, Sampson's strengthe,
Hectour's worthynesse, Eurialus' swyftnesse, Ulyxe's fayre speche,
Solomon's wysdome, Ajax's hardynesse !
" O clothynge of naked ! the hungryes mete ! fulfyllynge all
mennes bone that him wolde ought bydde ! O fayre in speche !
felowe in servyce ! honeste of dede, and sobre in worde ! Gladcle
of semblaunt, and love in face ! goodly to every man, and rightful
to all ! The noble dyademe of fayrnesse of Wales is now fallen.
That is, Rees is deed ! All Wales gronyth, Rees is deed ! the name
is not loste, but blysse passyth, — the blysse of Wales passyth, Rees
is deed ! worshypp of the worlde gooth awaye. The enemy is here,
for Rees is not here. Now Wales helpith not itself. Rees is deed,
and take awaye. But his noble name is not deed, for it is alway
newe in the worlde wyde. This place holdyth grete worshypp yf
the byrthe is beholde. Of men axe what is the ende, It is ashes
and powder. Here he is hydde, but he is unhylled, for name
[ 184]
duryth evermore, and suffryth not the noble duke to be hydde
of speche. His prowesse passed his maners. His wytte passed his
prowesse. His fayre speche passed his wytte. His good thewes
passed his fayre speche."
I shall add another character in more modern and intelligible
language, translated from the Welsh text in the My vyrian Archaio-
logy, Vol. II. p. 440.
" Jn the year 1 196 there was a dreadful storm of mortality over
the whole Isle of Britain and the borders of France, so that infinite
number of the common people died, as well as of the nobility and
princes. And in that tempestuous year Atropos distinguished her-
self from among her sisters, who heretofore were called the God-
desses of Destiny, by employing her malignant and baneful powers
against a most illustrious prince, so that neither the relation of
Tacitus the historian, nor the strains of Virgil the poet, could ex-
press what lamentation, grief and misery came upon the whole
nation of the Britons, when Death, in that accursed year, broke the
course of her destinies, to bring the Lord Rhys ap Gruffydh under
his triumphant dominion: the man who was the head, the shield,
the strength of the South, and of all Wales ; the hope and defence
of all the tribes of the Britons ; descended of a most illustrious line
of kings ; conspicuous for his extensive alliances ; the powers of
whose mind were characteristic of his descent. A counsellor in his
court, a soldier in the field ; the safeguard of his subjects ; a com-
batant on the ramparts, the nerve of war; the disposer of the
battle ; the vanquisher of multitudes, who, like a maddened boar
rushing onward, would vent his fury on his foes. Fallen is the
glory of the conflicts ! the shield of his knights, the protection of
[ 185 ]
his country, the splendour of arms, the arm of power, the hand
of liberality, the eye of discrimination, the mirror of virtue, the
summit of magnanimity, the soul of energy ! Achilles in hardi-
ness, Nestor in humanity, Tydeus in valour, Sampson in strength,
Hector in prudence, Hercules in heroism, Paris in comeliness, Ulysses
in speech, Solomon in wisdom, Ajax in thought, the foundation of
all excellence." Such was Rhys Prince of South Wales, whose in-
teresting portrait and effigy, taken from his tomb at Saint David's,
are engraven for this work.
7. David, son of Owen Gwynedh, who, on the death of his father,
forcibly seized the principality of North Wales, slaying his brothei
Howel in battle ; and setting aside the claims of the lawful inheritor
of the throne, Jorwerth Trwyndwn ; whose son, Lhewelyn ap Jor-
werth, in the year J 194, recovered his inheritance.
8. Of this Howel, son of Jorwerth of Caerleon, an anecdote is re-
lated in the Welsh Chronicle which does not tend much to his
honour. — " A. D. 1 1 75, Howel, son of Jorwerth ap Owen of Caerleon,
took his uncle Owen Pencarn prisoner, and putting out his eyes,
gelded him, least he should beget children which should inherit
Caerleon and Gwent. But God provided a punishment for him,
for upon the Saturday following there came a great army of Nor-
mans and Englishmen before the town, and wan it with the castle ;
maugre Howel and his father, who was not privy to his son's lewd
deed."
VOL. H. B b
[ 186 ]
CHAPTER XIII.
WENLOCII— BRUMFELD— LUDLOW— LEOMINSTER— HEREFORD.
FROM Shrewsbury, we continued our journey towards Wenloch, by
a narrow and rugged way, called Ill-street,1 where, in our time, a
Jew travelling with the Archdeacon of the place, whose name was
Sin, and the dean, whose name was Devil, towards Shrewsbury,
hearing the Archdeacon say, that his archdeaconry began at a place
called Ill-sreet, and extended as far as Mai-pas, towards Chester,
pleasantly told them, " It would be a miracle, if his fate brought
him safe out of a country, whose archdeacon was Sin, whose dean
the devil ; the entrance to the archdeaconry Ill-street, and its exit
Bad-pass."
From Wenloch, we passed by the little cell of Brumfeld, the
noble castle of Ludlow, through Leominster to Hereford, leaving
on our right hand the districts of Melenyth and Elvel ; thus (de-
scribing as it were a circle) we came to the same point from which
we had commenced this laborious journey through Wales.
During this long and laudable legation, about three thousand
men were signed with the cross ; well skilled in the use of arrows
and lances, and versed in military matters ; impatient to attack the
1 I can find no place on the map, near Shrewsbury, which at all corresponds with
the name of " Mala Platea," or Ill-street. The town of Malpas in Cheshire, was the
" Malus Passus" alluded to by Giraldus.
[ 187 ]
enemies of the faith ; profitably and happily engaged for the ser-
vice of Christ, if the expedition of the Holy Cross had been for-
warded with an alacrity equal to the diligence and devotion with
which the forces were collected. But by the secret, though never
unjust judgment of God, the journey of the Roman emperor was
delayed, and dissensions arose amongst our kings. The premature
and fatal hand of death arrested the King of Sicily, who had been
the foremost sovereign in supplying the holy land with corn and
provisions during the period of their distress. In consequence of
his death, violent contentions arose amongst our princes respecting
their several rights to the kingdom; and the faithful beyond sea
suffered severely by want and famine, surrounded on all sides by
enemies, and most anxiously waiting for supplies. But as affliction
may strengthen the understanding, as gold is tried by fire, and
virtue may be confirmed in weakness, these things are suffered to
happen. Since adversity (as Gregory testifies) opposed to good
prayers is the probation of virtue, not the judgment of reproof.
For who does not know how fortunate a circumstance it was that
Paul went to Italy, and suffered so dreadful a shipwreck ? But the
ship of his heart remained unbroken amidst the waves of the sea.
[ 188 ]
ANNOTATIONS ON CHAPTER XIII.
WENLOCH — Saint Milburge, sister to Saint Mildred, and daughter
of Merewald, son of Peiida King of the Mercians, despising the
vanities of the world, and devoting herself to the love of God, and
a religious life, retired to a place, Wimnicas. in Shropshire, where,
by the assistance of her father Merewald, and her uncle Wulpher,
King of the Mercians, she founded a monastery for nuns, of which
she became the first abbess. The historian Cressy, speaking of this
period, says — "At this time (A. D. 676), the Saxon churches in
Brittany flourished like the paradise of our Lord : for they were
plentifully adorned with lilies of pure virginity, and with violets
of religious monks. Among the lilies which adorned this para-
dise, none were in this age more illustrious than the three daughters
of Merwald, who this year began to reign over the Mercians,
together with his brother Ethelred. There concurred to the afford-
ing a prerogative of honour to Saint Milburga, among other holy
virgins, and particularly the children of King Merwald, not only
the splendour of a royal descent from the Kings of Kent and
Mercia, but her primogeniture also. But these privileges, though
admired in the world, were so far from exalting her mind, that
prevented with divine love, by which she aspired to God only
and celestial things, she generously despised them ; fixing all her
thoughts and desires in this one design, how she might remove all
such impediments as hindered her from consecrating her whole life
[ 189 J
to divine meditations and contemplation. For the effecting of
which glorious design, she made a joyful exchange of splendid
palaces for a monastery; of royal purple for sackcloth ; of a princely
diadem for a religious veil ; and of all pretensions to the highest
earthly espousals for Christ, her heavenly bridegroom." In this
consecrated retirement, Saint Milburga ended her days, and was
buried near the altar in the church of her monastery at Wenloch.
This abbey was probably destroyed during the general devastation
of the kingdom by the Danes, and with it all memorials of the
mausoleum of its foundress and patron saint perished. Such was
its situation during the reign of William the Conqueror, when
Roger tie Mountgomery Earl of Arundel and Shrewsbury rebuilt
and endowed it; on which occasion the tomb of Saint Milburga
was accidentally discovered ; the circumstances of which are de-
tailed by William of Malmesbury : — " Milburga apud Wenelock
requiescit, olim ab accolis nota, seel post adventum Normannorum,
dum nescitur locus sepulchri, aliquandiu oblivioni data. Nuper
vero adunato ibi conventu Monachorum Cluniacensium, dum in-
choata novi templi machina, quidam puer per pavimentum conci-
tatius cursitaret effracta mausolei fovea propalam corpus virginis
fecit ; tune balsamici odoris aura per ecclesiam spirante altius leva-
turn tot miracula praebuit, ut catervatim eo populorum unde con-
fluerent. Vix patuli campi capiebant agmina viatorum, dum aequis
umbonibus dives et mendicus se agerent, cunctos in commune prae-
cipitante fide, nee cassum eventum res habuit, adeo ut nullus hide
nisi extincta vel mitigata valetudine discederet, nonnullosque regius
morbus medicis sane incurabilis per merita virginis relinqueret."
" On the establishment of the Cluniac monks at Wenloch, A. D-
[ 190 ]
1101, "whilst they were busy in erecting the fabric of a new
church, a certain boy running hastily over the pavement, the vault
of her sepulchre broke in under him, by which means the body of
the holy virgin was discovered ; which being taken up, an odori-
ferous exhalation, as of a most precious balsam, perfumed the
whole church : and such a number of miracles were wrought by
her intercession, that wonderful multitudes flocked thither, both of
rich and poor, so that the very fields about the church could scarce
hold them ; so strong a faith they had of finding remedy there for
all their maladies. Neither did they fail of their expectation ; for
none departed without a cure, or at least a mitigation of their dis-
eases, and particularly the king's evil, esteemed incurable by phy-
sicians, was, through the merits of the Holy Virgin, perfectly
healed in several persons." Having restored this ancient monastery,
Robert de Montgomery placed therein a prior and convent of
Cluniac monks, who were considered as a cell to the house " De
Caritate" in France; and suffered the same fate with the other
alien priories, till in the reign of King Richard the Second, it was
naturalized, and became " prioratus indigena."
Alien priories were cells of the religious houses in England
which belonged to foreign monasteries ; for when manors or tithes
were given to foreign convents, the monks, either to increase their
own rule, or rather to have faithful stewards of their revenues,
built a small convent here for the reception of such a number of
members, as they thought proper, and constituted priors over
them. These usually transmitted their revenues to the foreign
head houses ; for which reason, their estates were generally seized
to carry on the wars between England and France, and restored to
[191 ]
them again on return of peace. The alien priories were first seized
by King Edward the First, in 1285, afterwards by Edward the
Second, and again, in 1337, by Edward the Third, who confiscated
their estates, and let out the priories, with all their lands and tene-
ments, at his pleasure, for the space of three and twenty years ; at
r
the end of which term, peace being concluded between the two
nations, he restored their estates in 1361, as appears by his letters
patent to the priory of Montacute in Somersetshire, printed at large
in Rymer's Fcedera, Vol. VI. page 311; and thus translated by
Weever, in his book on Funeral Monuments, page 339 :
" Edward, by the Grace of God, King of England, Lord of Ire-
land, and of Aquitaine, to all by these presents," Sec.
" Although the priory of Montacute, in the county of Somerset
(by reason of the warres betweene us and France), with all the
lands, tenements, fees, advowsons, together with the goods and
chattels belonging to the same, hath beene of late taken into our
hands, and by us farmed and rented forth, as appeareth by divers
patents; now, therefore, since peace is betwixt us and the noble
prince, our most deare brother, the King of France, we, for the
honour of God and Holy Church, restore to the said prior the
priory, with all the lands, tenements, fees, advowsons, and whatso-
ever else belonging to the same, to hold the same in as free manner
as they held it before. And withall, forgive and release all ar-
rerages of rents, which might bee due unto us by reason of any
former grants. In witnesse, foe. the sixth of February, the 35 yeare
of our raigne."
At the same time, many other alien priories (and amongst them
-that of Wenloch) had like letters of restitution ; all of which were
[ 192 ]
cleane suppressed and utterly dissolved, by King Henry the Fifth,
and their lands given by him, and his sonne Henry the Sixth, to
colledges of learned men, and to other monasteries.
The form of making a priory indigenous or denizen, as well as
the act for suppressing the alien priories, with many other curious
documents, are printed in the Appendix to the Account of Alien
Priories, 1789.
From Dugdale, I can gain but little information respecting this
priory ; he recites simply a deed of Isabella de Say, lady of Clun,
granting and confirming several donations to the monks of Wen-
loch. This Isabella de Say, whom we have before had occasion to
mention, was wife to William Fitz-Alan, governor of Shrewsbury,
and sheriff of that county.
A list of some of the priors of Wenloch is given in the preface
to Tanner's Notitia Monastica, and another in Browne Willis's Ac-
count of Abbies ; to which I shall refer the reader who may wish
lor more particular information respecting this priory, as these
accounts differ very materially in respect to dates.
The ruins of this priory are both extensive and picturesque, and
well deserve a visit from the artist ; the colour of its materials is
good, and improved by the wall flowers and other plants growing
from the interstices of the stones. It presents various specimens of
Saxon and Gothic architecture: of the former order are three beau-
tiful ornamented arches at the western entrance, sunk deeply in
the ground (as may be seen in the annexed plate) ; probably a part
of the building erected by Roger de Mountgomery in the year 1101.
The cloisters remain, and are appropriated to the uses of a farm
house. How many monasteries and religious buildings have I seen
[ 193 ]
converted into similar uses, and how few have been so fortunately
situated near the residence of men of property and taste, as to be-
come an interesting and historical decoration to his grounds !
The parish church of Wenloch, adjoining the ruinous priory,
bears many marks of Saxon antiquity. A large round arch sepa-
rates the nave of the church from the chancel ; the western door is
Saxon, and within the building there is a window of the same
order, as well as a door-way on the northern side. On the right of
the altar are some Gothic niches ; but no monuments of sufficient
antiquity or sculpture to attract the notice of the antiquarian.
Brumfeld — From an ancient deed, printed in Dugdale's Monas-
ticon, I find that a small college of prebendaries, or secular canons,
resided at Brumfeld, in the reign of King Henry the First; Osbert,
the prior, being recorded as a witness to a deed made before
the year 1148. In 1155, they became Benedictines, and sur-
rendered their church and lands to the abbey of Saint Peter's at
Gloucester, whereupon a prior and monks were placed there, and
continued till the dissolution. " Anno MCLV canonici de Bromfeld
dederunt ecclesiam suam et seipsos ad monachatum ecclesiae S.
Petri Gloucestrias : per manum Gilberti Episcopi Hereford, autori-
tate Theobaldi Cantuariensis Archiepiscopi et Apostolicae sedis
legati."
Leland, speaking of this place, says, " There was a priory or cell
of rnonkes at Bromfeild, longging to Gloucester abbey. There were
sometimes prebendaries. Giffard gave it to Gloucester abbey. This
house stood betwixt Oney and Temde. Temde runneth nearest to
the house itselfe. It standeth on the left ripe of it. Oney runneth
by the banke syde of the orchard by the house, touching it with
VOL. ii. C c
[ 194]
his right ripe, and a little beneath the house is the confluence of
Oney and Temde."
An ancient gateway and some remains of the priory still testify
the existence of this religious house, whose local situation, near the
confluence of the rivers Onny and Temd, has been accurately de-
scribed by Leland. Bromfeild is a small village immediately ad-
joining the finely wooded seat of Lord Powys, called Oakley Park.
In their journey from Wenloch, the crusaders passed by the cell
of Bromfeild ; but it does not appear that they stopped either at
Ludlow or Leominster, but pursued their course directly to Here-
ford. The castle of Ludlow still merits the epithet of " nobile,"
given it by Giraldus ; seated on a bold and well wooded rock, at
the foot of which run the united streams of the Onny and the
Temd, it presents itself to the eye as a most commanding and
picturesque object.
According to Camden, this castle bore the name of Dinan and
Llystwysoc, or the Prince's Palace. Its original construction has
been generally attributed to Roger de Mountgomery, Earl of Shrews-
bury, from whom it descended to his son Robert de Belesme, on
whose attainder it came into the possession of King Henry the
First. During the reign of King Stephen, A. D. 1139, I find it in
the possession of one Paganel : " Paganellus tenuit Castellum de
Ludelawe tempore Stephani :" at wjiich period it was besieged by
that monarch ; and Henry, son of the King of Scotland, was pulled
from his horse by an iron hook, and rescued from the enemy by
the valourous exertions of Stephen. " A. D. MCXXXIX, Rex Anglo-
rum Stephanus Henricum filium Regis (Scotiae) obsidem secum du-
cens in Angliam, Ludelhawe Castellum obsedit, ubi idem Henricus,
[ 195 ]
ab inclusis unco ferreo equo abstractus, pene intra muros projectus
est : sed Rex ipse ab hostibus eum, ut miles egregius, laudabiliter
retraxit."
In the year 1 198, Hubert Archbishop of Canterbury, and Primate
of England, took possession of Ludlow castle on behalf of the king,
and committed it to the care of new governors.*
King Henry the Second bestowed this castle on Fulk Fitz-Warine
(who was also called de Dynan), together with the adjoining valley
of Corvedale, respecting whom there is the following most curious
account in Leland's Collectanea: Tom. I. p. 231.
Thingcs excerptid owte of an old Englisch boke yn ryme of the
Gestes of Guarine and his Sunnes,
William Conqueror toke counsel of Corbet and Mortimer for
strenkething of his marches about the quarters of Shropshire agayn
the Walchmen.
The burge of Shrobbesbyri was committed to the cure of Roger
de Belesme, where he made a castel.
Alberbyri and Alleston was committid to Guarine de Mees.
Alane Fleilsone had gyven to him Oswaldestre. Payne Peverel
that lovid welle hunting, had Whitington, with al the lordship.
Payne Peverel had no issue; but his sister had a sunne caullid
William, a worthy knight, that won the hundredes of Ellesmere
and Meilor and other mo. This William had issue 1 1 daughters,
whereof Helene was maried to Alane's heyre: and Mellet, the
secunde, wold have none but a knight of very nobil hardines.
* Anno gratiae millesimo centesimo nonagesimo octavo, Hubertus, &c. fuit in
WalliS,, et recepit in maim su& castellum de Ludelaw, &c. expulsis inde custodibus,
qui ea diu custodierant; et tradidit ea aliis custodibus custodienda ad opus Regis.
Hoveden Annal. p. 775.
[ 196 ]
Wherefore her father promised by crye that noble young men
should meate at Peverell's place in the Peke, and he that provid
hymself yn feates of armes, should have Mellet his doughter, with
the castel of Whitington.
Guarine cam to this enterprice, and ther faute with a sunne of
the King of Scotland, and also with a Baron of Burgoyne, and van-
quisch'd them bothe. Guarine had a sheld of sylver, and a proude
pecock apon his heaulme creste.
Guarine weddid Mellet, and had a sunne caullid Fulco.
Joos, a knight, was lefte as a governer to yong Fulco. Guarine
and he defendid his lands agayne one Walter, the greatest of the
marche lorde owt of Lacy and Ludlow. They met at a bent by
Bourne, at a bridge ende a litle from Ludlow. Joos bare a sheeld
of sylver, with thre blew lyons coronid with gold.
Joos had a daughter caullid Hawise, whom Fulco Guarine en-
tirely lovid, and seying her in great dolour, askid the cause of her
sorow, and she answerid that it was no matier for an hauker to
amende : and he upon that toke his horse and spere to rescow Joos
her father, as one Godarde was aboute to streke of his hede ; so
that Godarde was slayne of him, and Gualter Lacy diyven away.
Then Joos recovered a horse, and sore woundid Syr Arnold that did
hym much hurte. Ther Fulco killid one Andrew, a knight longging
to Walter Lacy.
Gualter Lacy and Syr Arnold were taken prisoners, and put in
the castel of Ludlow, in a prison caullid Pendouer. A gentilwoman,
caullid Marion, deliverid both these knighttes by treason owte of
Pendouer, for the love of Syr Arnold de Lis, one of them that pro-
misid her falsely marriage.
[ 197 ]
Fulco Guarine weddid Hawise, doughter to Joos, at Ludlow
castelle. Joos and Fulco Guarine toke a journey into Ireland ;
Marion tarried, faining sikenes, behinde, and write a lettre to her
love Syr Arnold de Lis, to cum secretely to her up into the castel
with a lader of leder and cordes. Arnold cam acording to Marion's
desier, and had his pleasure of her ; and sone after came his bande,
and secretely scalinge the walles killed the castellanes. Then Ma-
rion, seeing this treason, lept owte of a towre, and brake her nek :
and Arnold killid after many of the burgeses of Ludlow toune,
sparing nother wife, widow, nor childe.
Walter Lacy, hering that the castel and toune of Ludlow was
won, cam with his band thither, and mannid and vitailid Ludlow,
keping it as his owne. This tidinges was tolde to Joos lying at Lam-
bourne. Joos and Fulco, and his father Guarine, cam to rescue
Ludlow; and in assaulting of it killid many of Lacy 's men. Then
Lacy, with a band of men, cam oute to fight with them ; but he
lesing many men, was fayne to recoyle into the town. Sone after
this, Guarine de Meese waxid very sike, and so goyng to Albourby
he dyed there within vn dayes, and was buried in the new abbay,
Fulco his sunne and Mellet his wife being present.
Fulco returnid to help Joos. Gualter Lacy sent to the Prince of
Wales for help, and he cam, wynning by the way Whittington, &c.
Deonoan, a place about Ludlow, wither the Prince of Wales with
his resortid to help Lacy.
Fulco Guarine hurte the Prince of Wales in the shoulder, and
drave hym to a castelle caullid Cayhome, where Cay had be lorde,
and there asseging by 3 days parte of the prince's men, killid many
of them at a certen issue. Fulco was woundid, and yet roode to
[ 198 ]
mete King Henry by Glocestre, of whom he was welle interteynid
as his kinnesman, and there had his wounde that Arnolde's brother
gave hym yn the waste, welle helid.
King Henry made a Fulke a knight and steuard of his house, and
lorde and governor of thos marchis. This Fulco Guarine had a
sunne by his wife Hawis, likewise caullid Fulco.
By the foregoing account, it appears that Fulk Fitz-Warine had
several contests with Walter de Laci about the castle of Ludlow, in
one of which the latter was taken' prisoner, and confined within the
said fortress ; but being released, and hearing that the castle and town
were won by his friend, Sir Arnold de Lis, he came and victualled
them both, and kept them as his own. By an intermarriage with his
family, it came afterwards into the possession of the Gennevilles, for,
in 28 Henry III. A. D. 1244, Peter de Geneva having married Maud,
the niece and one of the coheirs to Walter de Laci, obtained the king's
precept to the Sheriff* of Herefordshire, for the setting forth her pur-
party, upon partition made of the lands of the said Walter ; where-
upon the castle of Ludlow, with its members, was in part thereof
assigned to her. In 31 Edward I. (A. D. 1303), Roger de Mortimer
took to wife Joane the daughter of Peter de Genevill, son of Geffrey
de Genevill, and became lord of Ludlow castle. In 14 Edward II.
(A. D. 1321), having united himself with the discontented barons
of the realm, he was committed a prisoner to the Tower, from
which he found means to escape (A. D. 1323) ; and in memory of
this deliverance he caused a chapel to be built in honour of Saint
Peter in the outer ward of Ludlow castle, for one priest to celebrate
divine service perpetually therein. He was afterwards made Justice
of Wales, and created Earl of March by King Edward the Third,
[ 199 ]
whom he entertained most sumptuously during his progress into
the marches of Wales, at his castles of Ludlow and Wigmore.
" Rogerus praedictus Dominus de Wigmore a Domino Edwardo
tertio Rege, anno regni sui primo apud Sarum Marchiae creatur
comes. Exinde Rex Edwardus tertius ad Marchiam transiit, et in
castris dicti Domini Rogeri Comitis de Loddelowe et de Wygge-
more, forestisque et parcis, hastiludiis et aliis solaciis, munificisque
donariis sibi et suis largiter effusis, regaliter per nonnullos dies
tractatus." This aspiring and ambitious earl was executed on the
common gallows in the year 1330, and his estates by forfeiture
devolved to the crown.
In the year 1459, during the reign of King Henry the Sixth, " the
Duke of York, the Erie of Warwike and Salisbyri, seyng all thinges
to be rulid by the queene, and the noblemen despisid, and standing
yn jeopardy of life, gatherid an hoste, and cam to Ludlow, to the
which the Erie of Warwick resorted from Calays, and one Andrew
Trollope, a stoute warrior, with hym, yn whom he much trustid ;
but Andrew Trollope and the old soldiours of Calais left the Duke
of York, and the Erie of Warwick, and went to the kinge's carnpe :
then the king enterid Ludlo toune and castelle, and despoilid them."
Leland Collect. Tom. I. p. 497.
In later times this castle became the favourite residence of seve-
ral of our English princes, and the court of the lords marchers,
where the president lived. It was lately the property of .Earl
Powys, and now that of Lord Clive, who has succeeded to the
earldom and title of Powys.
I shall now briefly recapitulate the possessors of this ancient
fortress.
[ 200 ]
Roger de Mountgomery, who came into England with William
the Conqueror, built Ludlow Castle.
Robert de Belesme, his son, succeeded to his extensive posses-
sions, which were afterwards forfeited to the crown.
A. D. 1139: In the reign of King Stephen, Ludlow castle was
held by Gervase Paganel.
A. D. 1 143 : About this period, the Welsh Chronicle informs us,
that Joceas de Dynant was Lord of Ludlow, between whom and
Hugh de Mortimer, Lord of Wigmore, were great differences. King
Henry the Second is said to have bestowed it on Fulk Fitz-Warine,
called also de Dinan. It was afterwards taken possession of by
Walter de Laci, from whom it descended by marriage to the Gene-
vill family, A. D. 1244. After that time it seems to have passed
into the Mortimer family; for Leland tells us, that in the year
1264, Hugh de Mortimer surrendered his castle of Ludlow to John
Fitz-John.
In the year 1303, it came again into the Mortimer family, by an
intermarriage with the Genevill family ; and on the attainder of
Roger de Mortimer it devolved to the crown.
The curious reader will find many interesting particulars res-
pecting the town, castle, and church of Ludlow, in Churchyard's
Poem, entitled " The Worthiness of Wales." Many sumptuous
monuments, which no longer exist, are there described ; and a list
given of the ancient lords of the castle, and lord presidents of the
marches. Leland also in his Itinerary treats largely of this town.
Before I quit Ludlow, I must not omit mentioning the cu-
rious circular chapel within the area of the castle ; as its novel
form, and ancient Saxon decorations, merit the attention of the
[ 301 ]
antiquarian. Thomas Churchyard the poet, who wrote his poem
on the Worthies of Wales, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, takes
notice of this chapel in the following lines :
" In it besides (the works are here unnam'd)
A chappell is, most trim and costly sure,
So bravely wrought, so fayre and finely fram'd,
That to worlds end, the beautie may endure.
About the same, are armes in colours sitch,
As fewe can shewe, in any soyle or place :
A great device, a worke most rare and ritch :
Which truely shewes the armes, the blood and race
Of sondrie kings, but chiefly noble men,
That here in prose, I will set out with pen."
This chapel was richly decorated with the arms and atchieve-
ments of those princes and nobles who had possessed Ludlow castle,
and of the Lord Presidents of the marches.
Our travellers quitting Ludlow, passed through the town of
Leominster on their road to Hereford. The ancient name of this
town, " Leonis Monasterium," by which it was known in the days
of Giraldus, has met with different derivations from old writers.
Leland, in his Itinerary, speaking of this place says, " The towne
of Leominster is meetly large, and hath good buildinges of tymbre.
The antiquity of the towne is most famous by a monastery of nunnes,
that Merwaldus King of the Marches built there, and endowed it
with all the lands thereabout, saveing onely the lordship now called
Kingesland. And it is supposed of clerkes that the ould name of
the towne tooke beginning of the nunnes, and was called in Welsh
VOL. n. D d
[ 202 ]
Lhan-lheny, id est, " locus vel fanum Monialium ;" and not of a
lyon that is written to have appeared to King Merwald, upon
which vision he beganne (as it is sayd) to build this nunnery.
Other kinges of the marches immediately followinge Kinge Mere-
wald, were benefactours unto it. Some saye that the nunnery was
after in the Danes warres destroyed, and that after a colledge of
prebendaries sett there. The certainty is knowen that the abbey
of Shaftesbury had rule at Lemster, and possessed much landes
there, and sent part of the reliques of Saint Edward the Martyr to
be adored there. King Henry I. annexed the landes of Lemster to
the abbey of Reading, and there was a cell of monkes instituted at
Lemster by the abbotes of Reading. There is but one paroch church
in Leominster; but it is large, somewhat darke, and of auncient
buildinge; insomuch that it is a great likelyhood, that it is the
church that was somwhat afore the conquest. The church of the
priory was hard joyned to the east end of the parish church, and
was but a small thinge. Some saye, that the monkes of the priory
sayd that they had the sculls of the head of Merewald and Ethel-
mund, Kinges of Merche. Mr. Hacluit tould me that the body of
Kinge Merewald was found in a wall in the ould church of Wen-
loch. Leonmynstre a celle to Reading blak monkes, on the ryver of
Lug, vn myles from Hereford." Other writers have deduced from
its situation near the confluence of the rivers Lug and Oney, and
therefore called Lugoneyminster, and by corruption Leominster. In
Doomsday book it is written Leofminstre, the church of Leof, the
contraction of Leofric, Earl of Mercia, of which this country was a
part, and under his dominion. Bishop Tanner, in his account of
Leominster, says, " that Merwald, King of the western part of
[ 203 ]
Mercia, first built a monastery there to the honour of Saint Peter,
about A. D. 660, which being destroyed in the Danish wars, there
was first a college of prebendaries, and afterwards an abbey of nuns,
who were all dispersed, and their lands possessed by laymen long
before the year 1125, when King Henry the First gave this monas-
tery, with every thing belonging to it, to the new stately abbey
which he had founded at Reading in Berkshire. After this it be-
came a cell of Benedictine monks, subordinate thereunto, and was,
A. D. 1536, endowed with the yearly revenue of£*660. 16s. 8d. out
which there was paid to Reading, and in other reprises, to the value
of £"448. 4s. 8d. The greatest part of the site of this priory was
granted to the bailiffs and burgesses of the town.
" Henricus Dei gratia Rex Anglorum et Dux Normannorum,
Archiepiscopis, 8cc. fcc. Sciatis quod tres abbatiae in regno Angliae,
peccatis suis exigentibus, olim destructse sunt. Radingia scilicet
atque Chelseya et Leorninistria, quas manus laica diu possedit,
earumque terras et possessiones alienando distraxit. Ego autem con-
silio pontificum, et aliorum fidelium edificavi novum apud Radin-
giam monasterium, et donavi eidem monasterio ipsam Radingiam,
Chelseyam quoque, et Leominstriam, kc. kc. Actum anno MCXXV."
The parish church at Leominster bears many evident marks of
high antiquity. The western portal is a fine specimen of orna-
mented Saxon architecture, and, with the windows above it, be-
speaks an early construction. The capitals of the columns within
the church are of the same style, and vary in their designs: a
great part of the nave of the old church remains, of simple Saxon
architecture, and appears to have been a part of the original mo-
nastic building.
[ 204 ]
Having conducted my readers through the most interesting parts
of North and South Wales ; and having endeavoured to illustrate
every topographical, as well as historical passage of my author;
I shall take my leave of them at Hereford, a place too well known
to require any particular description: and I hope they will both
overlook the many eccentricities of Giraldus, and follow with
patience the many digressions of his Annotator.
[205 ]
CHAPTER XIV.
A DESCRIPTION OF BALDWIN ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY.
LET it not be thought superfluous to describe the exterior and
inward qualities of that person, the particulars of whose embassy,
and as it were holy peregrination, we have briefly and succinctly
related. He was a man of a dark complexion, of an open and vene-
rable countenance, of a moderate stature, a good person, and rather
inclined to be thin than corpulent. He was a modest and grave
man, of so great abstinence and continence, that ill report scarcely
ever presumed to say any thing against him ; a man of few words ;
slow to anger, temperate and moderate in all his passions and
affections; swift to hear, slow to speak; he was from an early
age well instructed in literature, and bearing the yoke of the
Lord from his youth, by the purity of his morals became a dis-
tinguished luminary to the people ; wherefore voluntarily resign-
ing the honour of the Archlevite, ' which he had canonically
obtained, and despising the pomps and vanities of the world, he
assumed with holy devotion the habit of the Cistercian Order;
and as he had been formerly more than a monk in his manners,
within the space of a year he was appointed abbot, and in a few
years afterwards preferred first to a bishopric, and then to an
1 Giraldus here alludes to the dignity of archdeacon, which Baldwin had obtained
in the church of Exeter.
[ 206 ]
archbishopric; and having been found faithful in a little, had
authority given him over much. But, as Cicero says, " Nature
hath made nothing entirely perfect;" when he came into power,
not laying aside that sweet innate benignity which he had always
shewn when a private man, sustaining his people with his staff,
rather than chastising them with rods, feeding them as it were
with the milk of a mother, and not making use of the scourges of
the father, he incurred public scandal for his remissness. So great
was his lenity that he put an end to all pastoral rigour; and was
a better monk than abbot, a better bishop than archbishop. Hence
Pope Urban addressed him ; " Urban servant of the servants of
God, to the most fervent monk, to the warm abbot, to the luke-
warm bishop, to the remiss archbishop, health, 8cc. 8cc."
This second successor to the martyr Thomas having heard of
the insults offered to our Saviour and his holy cross, was amongst
the first who signed themselves with the cross, and manfully
assumed the office of preaching its service both at home and in the
most remote parts of the kingdom. Pursuing his journey to the
holy land, he embarked on board a vessel at Marseilles, and landed
safely in a port of Tyre, from whence he proceeded to Acre, where
he found our army both attacking and attacked, our forces dis-
pirited by the defection of the princes, and thrown into a state of
desolation and despair ; fatigued by long expectation of supplies,
greatly afflicted by hunger and want, and distempered by the in-
clemency of the air : finding his end approaching, he embraced his
fellow subjects, relieving their wants by liberal acts of charity, and
pious exhortations, and by the tenor of his life and actions strength-
ened them in the faith ; whose ways, life, and deeds, may he who
[207 ]
is alone the " way, the truth, and the life," the way without
offence, the truth without doubt, and the life without end, direct
in truth, together with the whole body of the faithful, and for the
glory of his name and the palm of faith which he hath planted,
teach their hands to war, and their fingers to fight.
ANNOTATIONS ON CHAPTER XIV.
BALDWIN was born at Exeter in Devonshire, of a low family, and
being endowed by nature with good abilities, applied them to an
early cultivation of sacred and profane literature. His good con-
duct procured him the friendship of Bartholomew Bishop of
Exeter, who promoted him to the archdeaconry of that see ; re-
signing this preferment, he assumed the cowl, and in a few years
became abbot of the Cistercian monastery at Ford : In the year 1 180
he was advanced to the bishopric of Worcester, and in 1 184 trans-
lated to the archiepiscopal see of Canterbury. In the year 1188,
he made his progress through Wales, preaching with fervour the
service of the Cross ; to which holy cause he fell a sacrifice in the
year 1190, having religiously, honourably, and charitably ended
his days in the Holy Land.*
a " Baldwinus Devonius, tenui loco Excestriae natus, vir ore facundus, exactus
philosophus, et ad omne studiorum genus per illos dies aptissimus inveniebatur, scho-
larum rector primuin erat, turn postea archidiaconus, eruditione ac sapientia in omni
negotio Celebris. Fuit praeterea Cisterciensis monachus, et Abbas Fordensis caenobii,
[ 208 ]
The Monk of Chester, in his Polychronicon, thus speaks of Bald-
win:— "This yere when Rychard Archtbysshop of Canterbury
was dede, Baldwyn Bishop of Wyrceter was archebysshop after by
assent of the kinge and of all the bysshops. But the inonkes of
Caunterbury withsayd it with all that they mighte. Of hym it is
sayd, that he etc never flesshe from the fyrste daye that he was
made whyte Monke to his lyve's ende. In a time by the waye an
olde lene woman met hym, and axed yf it were sothe that he etc
noo maner flesshe? " It is sothe," sayd he. " It is false," sayd she
" for thou hast etc my flesshe unto the bones : for I had but one
cowe that I was susteyned by, and thy deanes have taken fro me
that cowe." He answerede and sayde, " Truely by the grace of
God, thou shall have as good a cowe as she was."
" The fourth yere of his bysshopryche fell styfe betwene hym
and the convent of Caunterbury for new houses and chyrches that
were new bylded fast by the monkes walles, in the whiche chyrche
he had ordeyned seculer clerk es, and ordeyned them pro vend res of
the monkes chyrches. that he was compelled to take awaye the
buildynge, and they were translated to Lambhythe fast by London
before Westmester. The yere of our Lorde 1 188 this Baldwyn had
magnus suorum festimatione, ac universe eoruni societati quasi antesignanus. Futt
deinde Vigorniensis Prsesul, fuit et demum mortuo Ricardo, Cantuariorum Archiepis-
copus, ac totius Anglia; Primas. Cui muneri Baldwinus solicite invigilans, egregium
se pastorem exhihuit; dominicum semen, quantum patiebatur ejus temporis iniquitas,
ubique locorum spargens. Ricardus Anglorum Rex, acceptis tune regni insigniis,
sum nil > studio clussem ac omnia ad Hierosolymitanum bellum gerendum necessaria
paravit. Secutus est illico Regem in Syriain et Palestinam usque Baldwinus, ut esset
in tarn sancto (ut ipse putabat) itinere, laborum, dolorum ac periculorum particeps."
Bale de Scriptoribus Britannia;, p. 288.
[ 209 ]
the offyce of the legacye of the crosse, and wente into Wales, and
songe in every cathedralle chyrche of Wales a masse in pontifica-
Hbus ; and that was never seen before that tyme." Higden's Poly-
chronicon, lib. vn. fol. 291.
The following particulars respecting Baldwin are recorded in
Leland, from a book of Gervase, monk of Canterbury, concerning
the lives of the archbishops of that see.
A. D. 1184. Successit Balduinus Episcopus Wigorniensis, antea
Abbas de Ford a.
Balduinus Exoniae ex infimo genere natus.
Balduinus a Bartolomeo Exoniensi factus Archdiaconus Exo-
niensis.
Balduinus fit Monachus in Forda, et postea Abbas.
Mortuo Rogero Episcopo Wigorniensi, successit Balduinus.
Consilio Balduini omnes Episcopi Angliae studebant monachos
ab ecclesiis cathedralibus expellere, et clericos introducere.
Balduinus novam ecclesiam Cantuarias fabricavit separatam ab
ecclesia monachorum, ubi jussit clericos suos domus mansionarias
facere.
Balduinus monachos Cantuarienses duriter tractat.
Ecclesia a Balduino incepta Cantuarias, et domus mansionarias
adjunct* demolitae.
Balduinus lapideam ecclesiam apud Lamhithb prope Londinum
incepit, et domus mansionarias ibidem pro clericis suis fabricavit.
b Archiepiscopus (Balduinus) interim construxit ecclesiara apud Lamhith ex opposite
Westmonasterii, et prebendas, quas assignaverat in capella quam fecerat in suburbio
civitatis Cantuaria3, assignavit in ilia ecclesid nova, quam construxit apud Lamhith. —
Leland Collect, Vol. III. p. 200.
This church which Baldwin had erected at Lambeth was afterwards levelled to the
VOL. ii. E e
[210 ]
Sedit annis v. mensibus xi. Obiit in obsidione civitatis Aeon, et
ibidem sepultus est.
An ancient writer has given the following account of the part
which Baldwin acted in this crusade. " Jamque Rex memor voti
quod fecerat, instigante Romano Pontifice de bello Saracenis infe-
rendo, jubet Archiepiscopum (Balduinum) sacris concioriibus nobi-
litatem et plebem ad tarn pium opus solicitare, et audientes ejus
dicta cruce signare. Lubens negotium sibi impositum Archiepis-
copus suscepit, et multis peragratis provinciis, tandem Cambriam
pervenit, cujus celebria omnia loca adibat, invisebat, curiose
perlustrabat. Finierat Archiepiscopus munus sibi injunctum, et
plurimus miles, cruce signatus, in armis stabat. At erat Henrici
jam tarda aetas, quam paulo post et mors secuta est. Successit in
regno Richardus, cui ignescens juvenili in corpore virtus, nihil aliud
sonabat quam Virgilianum illud " Bella, horrida bella." Suscepta
igitur expeditione belli Hierosolymitani, Archiepiscopus una cum
Rege Massiliam devehitur; deinde, cum magna classe praecedens
expectatissimus Tyrum, civitatem nobilissimam ac antiquissimam,
venit. Obiit autem Tyri, ubi et sepultus est, relinquens Richardo
magnum sui desiderium."c
ground in the year 1199, by his successor Hubert. " Hubertus Cantuariensis Archi-
episcopus ecclesiam de Lamhith, quam Balduinus predecessor suus in honore S. Thomse
martyris fundaverat, et ipse fere consummaverat, procurantibus monachis Cantu-
ariensibus, in quorum detrimentum fundabatur, autoritate summi pontificis sic imper-
antis, ad sui et multorum ignominiam complanavit. Leland Collect. Vol. I. p. 265.
c Many further particulars respecting Baldwin may be found in Bale, Leland,
Pitseus, and the Chronicle of Gervase, (which is printed amongst the " Decem
Scriptores" edited by Twysden,) who has given a detailed account of his controversy
with the monks of Canterbury.
[an-]
OWAIN CYVEILIOC.
OWAIN CYVEILIOC was son of Gruffydh ap Meredyth ap Blethyn,
created Lord of Powys by King Henry the Second. He derived
the title of Cyveilioc, from a district bearing that name in Merio-
nethshire, which was a comot of the cantrev or hundred of Cynan.
He took an active part in the battle of Crogen, A. D. 1 165, which
proved so disasterous to King Henry, and so honourable to the
Welsh;8 and I am inclined to think, that this battle gave rise to
the celebrated poem of the Hirlas, or Drinking Horn ; of which I
now submit a new poetical version to the public, by the pen of my
friend Richard Fenton, Esq. of Fishguard in Pembrokeshire, who
has endeavoured (as literally as the subject would admit) to com-
bine the meaning with the spirit of the poet. His death is simply
mentioned in the Welsh Chronicle, as having taken place in the
year 1197 ; but no eulogium (as on the decease of other illustrious
princes) is passed upon his character. Though Giraldus gives him
the opprobrious term of " Oenus isle, that Owain,"b yet he allows
1 In this year a most powerful combination was formed against King Henry the
Second, by Owen Gwynedh Prince of North Wales, Rhys Prince of South Wales,
with Owain Cyveilioc, and the sons of Madoc ap Meredyth, Princes of Powys, the
event of which has been fully related in my Annotations on the Itinerary, Book II.
Chapter X. p. 162.
k This epithet may have been given to him from the circumstance of his not attend-
ing on the Archbishop with his vassals, to assume the cross ; for which neglect he was
excommunicated : " Oenum quoque de Cevelioc, quia solus inter Wallite principes archi-
him to have exceeded all his cotemporary princes in eloquence and
good judgment : " Oenus isle prce aliis Cambria principibus et lingua
dicacis extiterat, et in terra sua moderamine ingenii perspicacis"
The bard Cynddelw," who flourished from about the year 1150
to 1200, in a complimentary ode addressed to Owain Cyveilioc,
has thrown much light on the character of that illustrious prince.
A translation of the whole poem would perhaps be too tedious,
as it is long, without any methodical plan, and a rhapsody of
prasuli cum populo suo non ocntrrerat, excommunicavimus," or Giraldus, from the cir-
cumstance of his frequently favouring the ro}ral cause, might have transferred on
Owain Cyveilioc some portion of the antipathy he bore towards the English monarch.
c Cyndelw was one of the most celebrated bards of the middle ages ; he flourished from
about A. D. 1150 to 1200, and on account of his stature, was commonly called Cynd-
delw Brydydd Mawr, or Cynddelw the Great Bard. His works contained many things
hostile to the superstition of the age wherein he lived, as may be learned from an
occurrence that happened to him during his last illness ,• when the monks of Ystrad
Marchell in Powys, sent a deputation to him with a requisition to renounce his errors,
and to make satisfaction to the church, denouncing, in case of his non-compliance, that
he should be excommunicated, and not have Christian burial. He thus replied to them
in verse, " Since no covenant could be produced against me, which the God of purity
doth know, it would have been more just in the monks to receive, than to reject me."
Cambrian Biography, p. 67.
Many other documents might be selected from the works of the Welsh bards, to
prove that this order was very hostile to Popery : of which 1 shall give one other ex-
ample, in a still earlier period of Welsh history, from a dialogue between Merddin, or
Merlin, and his sister Gwenddydd.
Gtvenddydd. "Take the sacrament before your death."
Merddin. " I will take no sacrament from accursed monks, with their cloaks on
their haunches. May I be communed with by God himself."
Another document breathing the same spirit of hatred against the monks, may be
found in the poems of David ab Gwilym, where the bard feigns a dialogue between
himself and a grey friar.
The chieftain Owain Cyveilioc seems also to have born the same antipathy to the
clergy, for he paid no deference to Baldwin when he made his progress through Wales,
and on that account was (like his panegyrist Cynddelw) excommunicated.
[213 ]
various epithets, which read very well in the original, owing to
the extraordinary character of the Welsh language for its conden-
sity, and assisted by a most artificial versification; but all these
beauties would be lost in an English translation, and present those
multitudinous epithets in a much more extended and tiresome
length. I shall therefore only give a specimen of the beginning
and end of this poem.
" Druids of a gallant land foretel to a foe who has been clothed
with homage, that songs of concurrent acclamation shall proclaim
the united praise of a man of boundless depredation. Songsters
shall recount the full animation of their chief; he who procures
their full pleasure in varieties.
A more ruthless conflict, a sharper slaughter-lurking stroke will
be cut by the leader glaring like lightning. The wealth of Deirad
will be hastening to the region of Powys, to the country of his
grandsire ;e subjected will Garthan be : it will give pledge to him.
The spear will radiate from his grasp ; he will clothe the minstrel
with varied vestments ; he will scatter the mangled bodies as the
spray.
I am singing to my liege, to my supporter Owain ; the swayer of
Britain, the collector of spoils. Ample the throng round his person
to share his splendid gifts ; bards resorting round the viands, round
three liquors/
Well seeming his chariot to range through hosts, that makes
u Deira and Bernicia were the low and high lands of the eastern parts of Yorkshire
and Durham.
' Bleddyn ab Cynvyn, who was Prince of all Powys.
f I imagine these three liquors to be those mentioned in the Welsh laws, under the
titles of cerevisia, or cwrw, cerevisia aromatilis, or bragawd, and mead.
[ 214 ]
conspicuous where the open tumult is raging. The willing boon
is distributed by the expert hewer with the red notched blade:
without a frown out of battle, with ardent bqsom the over-daring
trainer of the wolves stalks over dead carcases on the plain.
In the court of Owain the generous, his prerogative, like the sun
revolving, gives confidence to his domain and to his subjects.
Where there is urbanity and safety, where there is the exultation
of the ransomed ; where there is libation without anxiety, without
refusal, without any kind of want."
Can a finer or more appropriate character be drawn of an honour-
able, liberal, and hospitable chieftain ?
HIRLAS. — Before I give an account of that particular kind of
horn, from which the following poem has derived its title, it may
not be amiss to mention the different purposes to which these in-
struments were applied in the times of the ancient Britons.
They are thus distinguished in the code of Welsh laws.
There are three royal horns, which should be of the buffalo.
First. The horn from which the king drinks.
Second. The war horn, by which his retinue is assembled.
Third. The horn of his chief huntsman.
And the value of each of them is one pound.
The huntsman bore the title of Prcefectus Venatorum : he had a
place assigned him in the hall, next to the family priest ; and when
he was required to take his oath, he swore by his horn and his
leashes.
The social and convivial drinking horn is alluded to in this
poem: it derived the appellation of HIRLAS, from its shape and
colour, not from its destined use ; ffir, in Welsh, signifying long,
and glds, blue. It was usually filled with mead at the banquet,
and carried round by the Pincerna, or cup-bearer, to each guest.
Many of these horns exist both in England and in Wales ;s but the
most interesting of them still remains in the principality of North
Wales, at the seat of Lord Penhryn in Caernarvonshire, whose
house is said to occupy the site of the ancient residence of Roderic
Molwynog Prince of Wales, who reigned in the year 720. It be-
longed to Piers Gruffydd, a naval officer, who distinguished him-
self in the defeat of the Spanish Armada. " It was a large bugle,
or horn of an ox, enriched with sculptured silver, and a chain of
the same metal. At one end are the initials of his own name, P. G.
and of his father and mother, R. G. K. or Rhys and Katharine
Gruffydd. An engraving of it is given by Mr. Jones, in his disser-
tation on the musical instruments of the Welsh ; and he adds the
following dimensions of it, viz. the diameter of the semi-circle 13£
inches ; the whole line of the semi-circle 2'^ inches ; the diameter
of the drinking end 2,% inches: the diameter of the blowing end
rather above fths of an inch. It contains about half a pint.
The office of cup-bearer appears to be the same as the Pincerna^
whose office and privileges are described in the Welsh laws. He
8 Several plates of horns are engraved in the third volume of the Archaeology; the
most magnificent of which is that in the possession of the Earl of Ailesbury; and
a coloured representation of another has been lately published in Mr. Whitaker's
History of Craven in Yorkshire.
h Pincerna dicitur viui dispensator, vel potius propinator, qui porrigit ex officio pocu-
lum domino suo, et dicitur Pincerna, quasi penum cernens, i. e. cellarium, quia semper
kabet oculos ad vinum suo lempore propinandum. Du Cange.
" Adveniat Pincerna potens Eppinus, et ipse
Pulchraque vasa manu, vinaque grata vehat."
[216]
was one of the fourteen who had the "jus cathedra in auld," or the
right of sitting at the royal table. His duty was to pour out the
wine, and serve it to the guests at table;' he was also entrusted
with the care of the liquors, and had his proper allowance made
him ; namely, a cup full of cerevisia, or ale ; another half full of
cerevisia aromatilis, which I imagine is bragawd: and another three
parts full of mead. k We may conclude, that their pocula, or cups,
were of good measure, as the Prcufedus Aucupum, or master of the
hawks, was not permitted to drink in the hall, lest his drunkenness
should be prejudicial to the birds committed to his care.
1 Ille potum promet et portionem singulis debitam tradet.
k Potus autem legitimi haec est mensura. Pocula nempe ex quibus bibitur, cerevisia
plena; cerevisia aromatilis, semiplena; et medonis ad trientern plena.
THE HIRLAS,
OR
DRINKING HORN;
A POEM.
BY OWAIN CYVEILIOC
PRINCE OF POWYS.
No sooner had the dawn appear'd
Than the battle-shout was heard,
Proclaiming that the foe was nigh ;
Signal to conquer or to die !
Witness, armour, stain'd with blood,
How we fought, and how we stood,
Unyielding, Maelor* round thy land,
To guard it from the spoiler's hand !
* There were two districts in North Wales bearing the title of Maelor; but for dis-
tinction they were called English and Welsh Maelor; the former was situated on the
south side of the Dee ; the latter on the north side of the same river. Maelor Gym-
raeg and Saesneg were comots of the cantred of Uwchnant, and formed a part of the
principality of Powys Madog.
VOL. H. F f
Witness wounds and flowing gore,
The toils, the deathful toils we bore !
. Th' invading foe I chased away
Undaunted in the bloody fray ;
Dastards struck with pale affright
Finding safety but in flight !
Who to provoke the brave shall dare,
Let him of his wrath beware,
Wrath that leads to certain fate
Which he may rue, and rue too late !
Cup-bearer haste, and to thy stand,
Fill the horn in Rhys' sb hand,
Fill it high, with pleasure fill,
Nor stint thy generous master's will :
In Owain's hall thy prince's pride
Is with his warriors to divide
His feasts, his treasures, and the spoil,
Fruit of their valour and their toil ;
For to no common bounds confined,
Owains hall is like his mind,
To the carousal of whose mead
A thousand opening portals lead.
b The personage here alluded to was certainly the illustrious Rhys ap Gruffydh ap
Rhys ap Theodor, whose character has already been described in my notes on the
Itinerary, Book II. Chapter XII.; and whose portrait and effigy have been engraven.
He joined with the princes of North Wales in this confederacy against the English
monarch ; and Owen Cyveilioc, in compliment to so illustrious a guest, orders the
first libations to be poured out to him by his cup-bearer.
[ 219 ]
Cup-bearer, when I want thee most,
With duteous patience mind thy post,
Reach me the horn, I know its power
Acknowledged in the social hour ;
Hirlas, thy contents to drain
I feel a longing, e'en to pain :
Pride of feasts, profound and blue,
Of the ninth wave's azure hue,
The drink of heroes formed to hold,
With art enrich'd and lid of gold !
Fill it with bragawd" to the brink,
Confidence-inspiring drink ;
Then fill'd, the horn to Gwgand bear,
Warrior of the brow severe,
c Bragawd was a liquor made by the ancients, of the wort of ale and mead fer-
mented together; or, in modern times, the best ale thrown into a second fermentation
with honey and spices.
1 This was probably Gwgan of Caer Einion, situated between Llanfair and Welsh-
pool in Montgomeryshire, and where there are the remains of a castle. He is distin-
guished by the epithet of Traws, froward or cross-grained ; and we have a curious
account of his mission on an embassy to the court of Rhys ab Gruffydd Prince of
South Wales, which is thus recorded by Mr. Yorke in his Royal Tribes of Wales.
" When David ap Owen Gwyned Prince of North Wales had honourably received
some fugitives from the south, his courtiers insisted that it was too much condescension
in him to favour the subjects of a rival prince, who would not shew the least respect
to any of his. David, upon hearing this, swore a great oath, that he would not rest
until he should be satisfied whether the Lord Rhys of South Wales would not receive
honourably some messengers sent by him to his court. He was some time before he
could meet with a person who would undertake the trial. At length Gwgan of Caer-
Einion in Powys-land set off on the embassy, and arriving at the Lord Rhys's court*
found him in a furious temper, beating his servants, and hanging his dogs. Gwgan
knowing it was not a proper time to appear, delayed his message until the following
day; and then in a long speech, still extant in MS. he informed the noble descendant
[ 220 ]
Whose gallant actions loud proclaim
His title to the cup of fame ;
Bold in their course, unmatch'd for speed
Are the whelps of Gronwy's breed ;
Roused to battle, who can stand
The force of the resistless band,
Who, in every conflict hard,
Merit well the bright reward ;
Valued chiefs in sudden shout,
Deliverers from disgraceful rout !
Whose guardian voices ever near
Sabrinas* shepherds joy to hear,
Whose fame on record shall be found,
So long as horns and mead go round.
Cup-bearer, fairly fill the horn
Whose cover works of gold adorn ;
Nay, let the frothing mead o'erflow,
For in excess there's virtue now :
of Rhys ap Tewdwr Mawr, that he came from David ap Owen of North Wales, to
pay his friendly respects to him ; and if he was well received, he had commission from
his prince to thank the Lord Rhys; if not, he was ordered to act on the reverse. The
Lord Rhys asked Gwgan, in what could his honourable reception exist? Gwgan an-
swered, " In giving me a horse better than my own to carry me home, in giving me
five pounds in money, and a suit of cloaths; in giving inv servant, who leads my horse
by the bridle, a suit of cloaths, and one pound." " Come in (said the Lord Rhys), I
will give thee the noblest steed in my stud, for the sake of thy royal master ; and above
thy demand, I will double the sums, and treble the suits of apparel : which promise
was performed, and Gwgan returned, to the mutual satisfaction of both princes.
' Sabrina, the ancient name of the river Severn.
And, if thou wish thy life prolong'd,
See that its honours be not wrong' d.
Then more brilliant let the wine
Through transparent crystal shine,
Which to Grufijdd thou shalt bear,
Hero of the crimson spear,
Arivystlis1 princely chief, who shields
From plundering foes her fertile fields ;
Of Cynvyns e stock, a hero born,
His birth disgracing, who would scorn
To shrink from glory, or by flight
To shun the terrors of the fight.
Flush'd from the feast to battle went
My bright-armed chiefs, on fame intent,
Like Belyn s^ sons of old, who fought,
Inspired by mead they dearly bought,
f Arwystli was a cantrev in Montgomeryshire, containing the comots of Uwch
Coed, Is Coed, and Gwerthrynion. The town of Lanydloes appears to be situated
within this hundred.
* Gruffydd of the race of Cynvyn. This was Grufydd Maelor, son of Madoc Prince
of Powys, and uncle to Owain Cyveilioc. He was the ancestor of Ovvain Glyndyvrdwy,
or Owen Glendor, as the English write the name.
h Belyn. This is not Belinus Magnus, whose British name is Beli, but one of the
two Belyns mentioned in the Triads. One of these was a chieftain of Lleyn in
Arvon ; and the other was son of Cynvelyn, whose name is united with that of another
chieftain of the Hirlas, in the following triad. " The three splendid retinues of the isle
of Britain. The retinue of Belyn son of Cynvelin (Cunobeline) in the war of Caradoc
(Caractacus) son of Bran ; the retinue of Mynyddoc Erddyn in Cattraeth ; and the
retinue of Drywon, son of Nudd the Generous, in the pass of Arderydd in the north.
Each of these came forward at their own expence, without staying to be summoned,
and without asking either payment or gift from the country or prince; and on that
account they were called the three splendid retinues."
[ 222 ]
Unbroken who their ground maintain'd,
Nor quitted whilst a foe remain'd.
Pour out the horn ; 'tis my delight
A social converse to excite,
Till by each inspired guest
The powerful influence be confest.
Fill to the ruler of the fray,
Blood and havock mark his way,
When beneath his light broad shield
He flames along the embattled field.
To lion-heart Ednyved1 fill,
To push the spear of matchless skill,
Who, than his broken buckler, needs
No other herald of his deeds ;
Intrepid pair ! who choose their post,
Still where the battle rages most,
Bursting the ranks, as whirlwinds sweep
The level bosom of the deep :
Rough-fronted warriors ! by whose stroke
A golden shield would soon be broke ;
Whose every blow fresh victims wait,
Whose every shaft is wing'd with fate ;
Fighting to protect the bounds
Of lovely Garthan, such their wounds !
1 Ednyved. This is probably the same warrior who has been celebrated in an ode
by the Welch bard Cynddelw, wherein he is styled Ednyved aerllew, or Ednyved Lion
of battle.
Heard ye the shout on Maelor's plain,
Shrieks of agonising pain !
When o'er the slaughter that was made
Of shields was spread a mutual shade,
And warriors, nobly as they strove,
Their glittering weapons interwove.
At Bangor, as of old, was seen
Two contending chiefs between;
A grove of fire whose spears became,
Whilst the furies fed the flame :
What time the horn of social mirth
To death-provoking hate gave birth,
And Morach-Morvraris k festal floor
Betrayed ignoble waste of gore.
Pour out the horn, for, O ! how sweet
With fellow-warriors 'tis to meet,
And to the banquet of my hall
Their country's brave deliverers call !
To dauntless Selyv, Gwygyr's stay
The boon so well deserved convey,
On eagle wing whose vengeance flies,
For he that dares provoke him dies.
Next Madoc's only son demands
The grateful tribute at thy hands,
k The banquet of Morach-Morvran is often alluded to by the poets; and only
alluded to. Perhaps an explanation of it may be found out, when all the Mabinogion
or ancient tales shall be examined by the learned Welshman in whose hands they are
deposited.
[224 ]
The generous Tudyr he, whose name
Has often filled the trump of fame,
Through gleaming steel who hews his way,
Fierce as a wolf to seize his prey.
Then fill again, and let the horn
To Ynyrs warlike sons be born,
Heroes, twin-lions, if they go
To face, or to pursue the foe ;
Who still are found where danger's nigh,
The first to bleed, the last to fly ;
Hemmed in by foes, and unrelieved,
Who unexampled feats achieved,
Glorious marks of which they bear
The batter'd shield the ruddy spear,
Their force impetuous to restrain,
When hosts opposed, and bled in vain:
For to turn their course aside
Were to check the ocean tide ;
When the storm with idle roar
Spends its rage on Talgartk's1 shore,
Cup-bearer, if thy life be dear,
The horn high-privileged revere,
The bugle Hirlas richly chased,
Whose lid invites the lip to taste,
1 This word implies the front or edge of a ridge of high land, and as there are
many places so named, it is difficult to ascertain the precise spot alluded to in this
passage.
1225 ]
To Tudyr be the cup addrest,
And see the beverage be the best,
For if thou disappoint the brave,
Thy head shall answer for it, slave !
Then fill again, the cup prepare,
And to Moreiddig give his share ;
Patron of the song and bard,
Liberal source of rich reward !
For whom each grateful harp was strung.
The theme of every tuneful tongue !
To praise who living laid his claim,
Deserved, and found substantial fame,
Unsatisfied, on trust, to have
Its shade alone beyond the grave !
Brothers of high aspiring soul
Daring, impatient of controul !
Who, if their country should require,
Or prince command, would rush through fire,
Whose services shall ever find
A lasting record in my mind ;
Youths who made up their want of age,
In wisdom prematurely sage,
In peace for counsel, yet by none,
Or valour in the field, outdone,
Still ardent in the hour of need,
To hazard danger, and to bleed,
In the front ranks for ever found
To court an honourable wound,
VOL. ii. G g
[ 226 ]
Intrepid, panting to advance,
And dip in blood the foremost lance,
Twin boast of Powys ! princely line !
Favour'd Mochnant, m they were thine !
Ever watchful and at hand
From the foe to guard thy land.
But beyond our wishes blest,
Of their full reward possest,
Though vain to them are praises now,
Tis all their country can bestow.
That groan was death ! alas ! the pain
Sudden to change the festive strain ;
For, witness heaven ! that the dart
Which drank their life-blood reach'd my heart.
Much lov'd Moreiddig how shall I
Forget thee. or thy loss supply !
Cup-bearer, fill, be grief forgot,
Our sighs are lost, they hear them not,
Unconscious they of aught below,
Or human joy or human woe !
Then bring the mead, let rnirth abound,
And let the festive horn go round.
To Morgan next thy step direct,
The warrior claims distinct respect ;
Yet ah ! the officious zeal forbear,
His name will ever wake the tear ;
m Mochnant was a comot in the hundred of Yvyrnwy in Montgomeryshire.
For in my hall of him bereft,
A melancholy blank is left :
What torture for his prince to tell
How brave he fought, how brave he fell !
Too cruel fate ! decreed to feel
The edge of the accursed steel.
Cup-bearer, fill, nor dare to scorn
The richly wrought convivial horn,
And know, no vulgar office thine
To minister to guests like mine :
For hadst thou seen on Gwesturis plain
The deeds of those I entertain,
Impetuous, prodigal of life,
Who plung'd into the bloody strife ;
When Gromvy fighting at his post
Unshaken stood against an host ;
Astoriish'd thou hadst witness'd then
To heroes acting more than men.
What brave exploits were then perform'd,
A leader slain, a castle storm'd,
Whilst all who 'scaped the sword, became
Victims of the fiercer flame.
What time the neighbouring ocean stream
Was wide illumin'd with the gleam ;
Nor was this their only deed,
A noble captive there they freed,
[ 228 ]
Meurig, Grufydd's son, whose praise
Inspires the bard's prophetic lays ;
And when the daring toil was o'er
Their limbs were bath'd with sweat and gore,
For hill and dale enjoy'd the light
Shot from the sun's meridian height.
Pour out the horn, for it is meet
That Owains n whelps of war we greet,
Who unite with heart and shield,
And spring together to the field ;
Where thickest spears are heard to clash,
And quicker lightnings seen to flash ;
Madoc and Meilir bred to toil
Of bloody havoc and of spoil ;
Active injustice to oppose,
And train my troops to face the foes,
Who know their ardour when to slack,
And when to urge the fierce attack.
In the mead's enlivening hour,
That wakes the tale of ancient lore,
Hast thou never yet been told,
Abruptly, from the feast of old
With the drink of heroes flush'd
How Cattraetlis ° lord to battle rush'd ?
" Probably the sons of Owain Gwynedd, Prince of North Wales.
" Mynyddoc Eiddyn (mentioned in a preceding note) was leader of the Britons in
[ 229 ]
When never on so just a fray,
Closed a more disastrous day :
But Mynyddocs ° faithful guards
Have been the favourite theme of bards
Graced by Aneurins tuneful powers,
Yet what were their exploits to our's ?
Trust me, future strains will yield
The palm to Maelors nobler field,
Where my dauntless warriors gave
Freedom to th' imprison'd brave :
Then let me not their fame to wrong,
Defraud them of their wine and song.
Pour out, and let the horn be fill'd
With choicest liquor, sweet, distill'd,
Mead of spear impelling power
In the battle's deathful hour :
the fatal battle of Cattraeth, the scene of which was in Scotland, and somewhere in
the Lothian district, which formed the principal part of the country of the Ottadini.
The singular military work in that country, now called Catrail, may probably have
a reference to Cattraeth, and this battle may have been fought on some part of it.
f Aneurin of flowing Muse, called also Supreme of Bards, was one of the most cele-
brated of the Welsh poets, and a chieftain among the Ottodinian Britons, who bore a
conspicuous part in the battle of Cattraeth, on which he composed a poem, which is
printed in the Myvyrian Archaiology with another piece entitled the Odes of the Months,
being all that can be said with certainty to have been preserved of his works. He
flourished early in the sixth century, and about the year 540 is supposed to have lost
his territories in the north, in consequence of the battle of Cattraeth, so fatal to him
and other confederate chiefs; and some documents say that he took refuge with the
famous congregation of Catwg, in the country of the Silures, where he died about
A. D. 570. Cambrian Biography, p. 9.
[ 230 ]
Crown the proud cup with gold o'erlaid,
And be the grateful tribute paid
In honour of the mighty dead,
Who for their country's glory bled.
Of cares that haunt a prince's breast,
To rob him of his peace and rest,
The sad variety is known
To heaven and himself alone.
Daniel, our associate friend,
Untractable, unapt to bend ;
Insult who can never brook,
Dangerous 'twere to overlook :
Proud of notice ! quick his sense
To feel neglect and take offence !
Resentment in whose breast supplies
A raging fire that never dies :
Such guests to manage with success,
Becomes a task of nice address.
Bring then of mead a richer treat,
To make the social joy complete,
And by the taper's brilliant flame
Give to every man the same.
For hadst thou seen in Llidwm's* land
The feats of this my gallant band,
Their prince, their leader to protect
Hadst thou seen their shields collect,
* This name is still preserved in that of a place in Shropshire called Lydham, situated
at a short distance to the north of Bishop's Castle on the banks of the river Camlet.
How they every peril dared,
When flaming Cawres* round them glared;
The men I honour here to-day
I owe them more than I can pay :
Then let no stint of mead be known,
Or partial distribution shown !
So may we live, that we may prove
Guests worthy of the courts above ;
And when this little life is o'er
Meet again to part no more :
To live for ever in the sight
Of the Supreme, the Lord of light,
With whom alone the truth is found,
And joys that know no end abound.
' It is difficult to know what is the allusion to this word, which in a literal sense
means a giantess.
Such is the information I have been able to gain respecting the persons and places
mentioned in this poem ; and 1 regret that it is not more complete. Many ol the
names of persons are so very common, that it would be difficult to identify them ; but
as to the places, I have no doubt but that they might be easily ascertained by some
intelligent native Cambrian residing in the conntry.
[ 232 ]
THE
CIRCUITS THROUGH WALES;
A POE M
BY OWAIN CYVEILIOC
PRINCE OF POWYS.
To share the festal joy and song,
Owains train we move along ;
Every passion now at rest,
That clouds the brow, or rends the breast,
But oppression's foes the same,
Quick to kindle into flame.
Setting off from Moriyn a say,
Whither shall we bend our way?
* I think this name should be read Forddyn, or Forden, a place situated in Powys-
land, between Montgomery and Welsh-pool. Moreton, near Oswestry, corresponds
perhaps better with the text ; but the distance from thence to Keri would have been
too great for one day's journey, particularly as amusement and conviviality were the
objects proposed by Owain Cyveilioc in this tour.
[ 233 ]
Quick dispatch thee, boy; take heed
That thou slack not of thy speed,
Or with idle gossip greet
The loit'rer thou mayst chance to meet.
Onward push, and look not back,
Let nought divert thee from thy track.
To Kerib hie thee, lad, and say,
Thither we will bend our way.
Keri greeted, onward haste,
Thy time will not admit of waste.
With no vulgar message sent,
On thy duty be intent :
Dread our anger to excite,
Lest our vengeance on thee light.
Then announce that, in our rounds,
We visit next Anvystlisc bounds.
Told thy errand, stop not long,
Herald of a princely throng :
But onward still thy steps pursue,
Ceredigs* confines in thy view.
b Keri, or Ceri, is a village between Bishop's Castle and Newtown, in Mont-
gomeryshire.
0 Arwystli is a cantref in Montgomeryshire, containing the comots of Uwch Coed,
Is Coed, and Gwerthrynion. The town of Lanydloes appears to be situated within this
hundred.
d Ceredig is a synonymous term for the county of Caerdigan.
VOL. ii. H h
[ 234 ]
Thither with speed increasing go
*
Swift as an arrow from a bow.
And to Penwedig* tidings bear,
Of our approach and visit there.
Hence without delaying, boy,
To toil familiar by employ ;
Scorn fatigue ; and unsubdued
Be thy painful march renew'd ;
Then with shout as hunter's loud,
Publish this our message proud :
That Meirion's1 mountains shall detain
The course of our convivial train.
Quick proceed, the mountains crost,
That not a moment may be lost,
Fast by the margin of the deep,
Where storms eternal uproar keep.
The road to shorten, mend thy pace,
By thy speed contracting space ;
And faithful to thy message, say,
We take Ardudwyi in our way.
' Penwedig is a cantref in the north of Ceredigion, or Caerdiganshire, comprehend-
ing the country between the rivers Rheidiol and Dyfi in Caerdiganshire, and con-
taining the comots of Genau y glyn, Pervedd, and Creuddyn.
1 Meirionydd is a cantref forming the south-west part of the county of Merioneth-
shire.
* Ardudwy is a comot of the cantref of Dunodig, extending from Barmouth, or
Aber-maw in Merionethshire, to the Traeth Mawr in Caernarvonshire.
[ 235 ]
No delaying, boy, push on,
Ardudwy visited, be gone.
Haste the region to survey,
Which Merfyn gloried erst to sway.
To Nevynh go, inquire for Nest,
And lodging there, become her guest.
By which untold it may be seen,
That we are on our road to Lleyn.1
Messenger, set off again,
Forerunner of our gallant train,
Hurry at our chief's command,
Prince of liberal heart and hand :
And as through Arvorfi winds thy way,
Armed knight, we charge thee, say,
That having journeyed many a mile,
We mean to visit Monas isle.
We are Owain's princely host,
Spoils of foes the wealth we boast,
Tyrant Lloegyr1 overthrown,
Gives us title to renown.
h Nevyn is a small village within the hundred of Lleyn in Caernarvonshire.
Lleyn is a cantref in Caernarvonshire, containing the comots of Maen, Din-lloyn,
and Canologion, being the flat part of the promontory stretching across from Pwllheli
to Nevyn.
Arvon, a synonymous term for Caernarvonshire, and derived from its situation
opposite to Mona, or Anglesey, ar, opposite, von or man, a corruption of Mona.
1 Lloegyr. This word in a literal sense implies, that opens or breaks out, and is thus
[ 236 ]
Then, our toilsome marches o'er,
Can we want an opening door ?
Shall we not find in Rhosm a bed,
Whereon to lay the weary head ?
Thy prince commands thee to depart,
(Except the mistress of his heart
Haply thou shouldst chance to meet,)
With strictest orders none to greet :
But quickly mount the fleetest steed,
Not confiding to thy speed ;
To Llanerch" tidings to convey
That we shall stop there on our way.
Off again, that region face,
Nurse of a renowned race ;
Who for many a gallant deed,
Deserve the horn, the hero's meed ;
Thither haste with our commands,
Quitting Tyno Bed-wal's ° lands ;
explained by Mr. Owen in his Dictionary," as being that part of ancient Britain, which
was inhabited by the Belgians; also England, south of Humber, exclusive of Wales,
Cornwall, and Devon; but now it is the popular name for England in general.
m Rhos is a cantref in Caernarvonshire, containing the comots of Uwch Dulas, Is
Dulas, and Creuddyn, being the district east of the Conwy river, extending along the
sea-coast from thence to Abergele.
h Llanerch is a comot of the cantref of Dyffryn Clvvyd, together with Coelogion and
Ruthyn, and is situated in the vale of Clwyd, Denbighshire.
0 I can gain no intelligence whatever of this place, nor can find any local name at
all corresponding with it. Tyno, means a little valley, and Bidwal (according to
[ 231 ]
And say we purpose to regale,
And taste of social joy in
But tarry not, no respite take,
This witching region quick forsake,
Howe'er her sons to charm thy stay
May throw temptations in thy way ;
We forbid thee lingering there
Beyond the opening of the year.
To Maelor* then thy steps direct,
That she our coming may expect.
This perform 'd, yet loiter not,
Be thy very food forgot :
Every hind'rance put away,
All that can create delay.
To stop in Maelors not ullow'd,
For farther still extends thy road,
To visit Cijnllaith " AVC propose,
Then haste the message to disclose.
Mr. Owen) signifies an encampment. May not, therefore, Tyno Bedwal mean some
encampment or fortress in a vale? Owain did not make it a resting-place, but pursued
his journey into Ydl.
p Jal, or Yal, is a comot in the cantref of Rhiw, together with Ystrad Alun, and
Hob or Hope, and was situated amongst the mountains to the north of the river Dee
at Llangollen.
* The account of Maelor has been given in my notes upon the Hirlas.
' Cynllaith, together with Mochnant Is Rhaiadyr and Nantheudwy, were comots
of the cantref of Rhaiadyr. It is a district situated S. W. of Oswestry, wherein is
Sycharth in ruins, which we may suppose was the place where Owain Cyveilioc rested,
[ 238 ]
Thy progress then, with counsel due,
And forms that suit our rank, pursue.
Worthy of thy commission prove,
For not like petty tribes we move ;
Prompt to discharge thy duty go,
And borrow fleetness from the roe,
That Mechain ' in her turn may hear
Of our intended visit there.
What though our prince with prosperous rounds
Has measured Cambria's lovely bounds ;
Though conquer'd realms enrich our train,
Heaven's kingdom yet is ours to gain,
Which to possess may we aspire,
Faith lending pinions to desire;
Where we our earthly journeys past
May find eternal rest at last.
as it was afterwards the hospitable residence of a descendant of his family, the
renowned Owen Glendor.
1 There were two comots of this name; Mechain Is Coed, in the cantref of
Evernwy ; and Mechain Uwch Coed in the cantref of Llyswynav, which had also the
comot of Caer Einion, in which there was a castle, which Owain Cyveilioc won in the
year 116?, and burned to the ground.
DESCRIPTION
OF
WALES,
BY
GIRALDUS DE BARRI;
WITH ANNOTATIONS
SIR RICHARD COLT HOARE, BART.
F. R. S. F. A. S.
[341 ]
FIRST PREFACE.
TO
STEPHEN LANGTON,
ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY.1
I WHO at the expense of three years labour, arranged a short time
ago, in three parts, the Topography of Ireland, with a description
of its natural curiosities, and who afterwards, by two years study,
completed in two parts the Prophetic History of its Conquest ; and
b Stephen Langton succeeded to Hubert Walter in the archbishopric of Canter-
bury, A. D. 1207, and was consecrated by the Pope at Viterbo. He was a man of
great learning, and composed many works on religious subjects; a catalogue of which
may be seen in Bale, p. 274.
The historian of Canterbury (Hasted) says, " that having presided as archbishop for
22 years, he died at his park at Slindon, on the ninth of July, 1228, and was buried
in his own cathedral, in the chapel of Saint Michael, where his tomb, being a plain
raised one, coffin-fashioned, having a cross patee sculptured on the top, is still remain-
ing; but the chapel having been afterwards pulled down, and rebuilt on a smaller
scale, this tomb, which is at the east end of it, is now left partly within, and partly
without the wall of the chapel, which crosses the middle of it." Leland, in his Itine-
rary, Tom. VI. p. 4, says, " In the crosse ile that standeth bynethe the degrees of the
quire southward, ly buried yn St. Anne's chapelle, Simon (Stephen) Langton, for whom
VOL. II. I i
[ 242 ]
who, by publishing the Itinerary of the Holy Man (Baldwin) through
Cambria, prevented his laborious mission from perishing in obscu-
rity, do now propose, in the present little workr to give some
account of this my native country, and to describe the genius of its
inhabitants, so entirely distinct from that of other nations. And
this production of my industry, I have determined to dedicate to
you, illustrious Stephen, Archbishop of Canterbury, as I before
ascribed to you my Itinerary ; considering you as a man no less
distinguished by your piety, than conspicuous for your learning ;
though so humble an offering may possibly be unworthy the ac-
ceptance of a personage, who from his eminence deserves to be
presented with works of the greatest merit.
Some indeed object to this my undertaking, and apparently from
the schism begun betwixt King John and the Bishop of Rome. This Langton trans-
lated Thomas Bekket, and made the exceding hygh, longe, and broode haulle in the
bishope's palace, and made, as I harde, the stately horologe in the south crossid isle
of the chirche."
It appears that Giraldus composed his Itinerary and Description of Wales, either
in the year 1188, during his progress through the country, or in the following year,
when he accompanied King Henry into France; for on his return home through
Flanders, he relates a curious anecdote of an accident which befell his servant and
baggage entrusted to his care ; adding that of all his losses, that of his journals was by
far the most severe (see his Life) ; he also says that he composed these works, when he
was about the age of forty. But by his dedication of them all to Stephen, who was
not raised to the see of Canterbury till the year 1207, we might almost suppose, that
the publication of them was suspended till that period. There is, however, one manu-
script in the British Museum, of the Description of Wales, dedicated to Hubert, the
predecessor of Stephen, who was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury in the year
11Q3, and I am inclined to think, that Giraldus might have published his works on
Wales during the time of Hubert, and might afterwards, owing to the disagreement
which took place between them, have altered the dedication, and inscribed them to
Stephen.
[ 243 ]
motives of affection, compare me to a painter, who rich in colours,
and like another Zeuxis, eminent in his art, is endeavouring with
all his skill and industry to give celebrity to a cottage, or to some
other contemptible object, whilst the world is anxiously expecting
from his hand a temple or a palace. Thus they wonder that I,
amidst the many great and striking subjects which the world pre-
sents, should choose to describe and to adorn, with all the graces
of composition, such remote corners of the earth as Ireland and
Wales.
Others again, reproaching me with greater severity, say, that the
gifts which have been bestowed upon me from above, ought not to
be wasted upon these insignificant objects, nor lavished in a vain
display of learning on the commendation of princes, who from their
ignorance and want of liberality, have neither taste to appreciate,
nor hearts to remunerate literary excellence. And they further
add, that every faculty which emanates from the Deity, ought
rather to be applied to the illustration of celestial objects, and to the
exaltation of his glory, from whose abundance all our talents have
been received ; every faculty (say they) ought to be employed in
praising him from whom, as from a perennial source, every perfect
gift is derived, and from whose bounty every thing which is offered
with sincerity, obtains an ample reward. But since excellent histories
of other countries have been composed and published by writers
of eminence, I have been induced, by the love I bear to my coun-
try and to posterity, to believe that I should perform neither an
useless nor an unacceptable service, were I to unfold the hidden
merits of my native land ; to rescue from obscurity those glorious
actions which have been hitherto imperfectly described, and to
[ 244 ]
bring into repute, by my method of treating it, a subject till now
regarded as contemptible.
What indeed could my feeble and unexercised efforts add to the
histories of the destruction of Troy, Thebes, or Athens, or to the
conquest of the shores of Latium? Besides, to do what has been
already done, is, in fact, to be doing nothing ; I have, therefore,
thought it more eligible to apply my industry to the arrangement
of the history of my native country, hitherto almost wholly over-
looked by strangers ; but interesting to my relations and country-
men ; and from these small beginnings to aspire by degrees to works
of a nobler cast. From these inconsiderable attempts, some idea
may be formed with what success, should Fortune afford an oppor-
tunity, I am likely to treat matters of greater importance. For
although some things should be made our principal objects, whilst
others ought not to be wholly neglected ; I may surely be allowed
to exercise the powers of my youth, as yet untaught and unexpe-
rienced, in pursuits of this latter nature, lest by habit I should feel
a pleasure in indolence and in sloth, the parent of vice.
I have therefore employed these studies as a kind of introduction
to the glorious treasures of that most excellent of the sciences, which
alone deserves the name of science ; which alone can render us wise
to rule and to instruct mankind ; which alone the other sciences
follow, as attendants do their queen. Laying therefore in my youth
the foundations of so noble a structure, it is my intention, if God
will assist me and prolong my life, to reserve my maturer years for
composing a treatise upon so perfect, so sacred a subject : for accord-
ing to the poet,
" Ardua quippe fides robustos exigit annos,"
[245 ]
' The important concerns of faith require a mind in its full vigour ;"
I may be permitted to indulge myself for a short time in other pur-
suits ; but in this I should wish not only to continue, but to die.
But before I enter on this important subject, I demand a short
interval, to enable me to lay before the public my treatise on the
Instruction of a Prince, which has been so frequently promised, as
well as the Description of Wales, which is now before me, and the
Topography of Britain.
Of all the British writers, Gildas alone appears to me (as often
as the course of my subject leads me to consult him) worthy of
imitation; for by committing to paper the things which he him-
self saw and knew, and by declaring rather than describing the
desolation of his country, he has compiled a history more remark-
able for its truth than for its elegance.
Giraldus therefore follows Gildas, whom he wishes he could copy
in his life and manners ; becoming an imitator of his wisdom rather
than of his eloquence ; of his mind rather than of his writings ; of
his zeal rather than of his style; of his life rather than of his
language.
[246 ]
SECOND PREFACE.
TO THE SAME.
WHEN, amidst various literary pursuits, I first applied my mind
to the compilation of history, I determined, lest I should appear
ungrateful to my native land, to describe, to the best of my abilities,
my own country and its adjoining regions ; and afterwards, under
God's guidance, to proceed to a description of more distant terri-
tories. But since some leading men (whom we have both seen and
known) shew so great a contempt for literature, that they immedi-
ately shut up within their bookcases the excellent works with which
they are presented, and thus doom them, as it were, to a perpetual
imprisonment ; I entreat you, illustrious Prelate, to prevent the
present little work, which will shortly be delivered to you, from
perishing in obscurity: and because this, as well as my former
productions, though of no transcendant merit, may hereafter prove
to many a source of entertainment and instruction, I entreat you
generously to order it to be made public, by which it will acquire
reputation ; and I shall consider myself sufficiently rewarded for
my trouble, if withdrawing for a while from your religious and
secular occupations, you would kindly condescend to peruse this
book, or at least give it an attentive hearing ; for in times like these,
when no one remunerates literary productions, I neither desire nor
[ 247 ]
expect any other recompense: not that it would appear in any
respect inconsistent, however there exists among men of rank a kind
of conspiracy against authors, if a Prelate so eminently conspicuous
for his virtues, for his abilities both natural and acquired, for irre-
proachable morals, and for munificence, should distinguish himself
likewise by becoming the generous and sole patron of literature.
To comprise your merits in a few words, the lines of Martial
addressed to Trajan, whilst serving under Dioclesian, may be deser-
vedly applied to you :
" Laudari debes quoniam sub principe duro,
" Temporibusque malis, ausus esse bonus."
And those also of Virgil to Mecrenas, which extol the humanity of
that great man :
" Omnia currr possis tanto tarn clarus amico,
" Te sensit nemo posse nocere tamen."
Many indeed remonstrate against my proceedings, and those par-
ticularly who call themselves my friends insist that, in consequence
of my violent attachment to study, I pay no attention to the con-
cerns of the world, or to the interests of my family, and that on
this account I shall experience a delay in my promotion to wordly
dignities ; that the influence of authors, both poets and historians,
has long since ceased ; that the respect paid to literature vanished
with literary princes ; and that in these degenerate days very diffe-
rent paths lead to honours and opulence. I allow all this, I readily
allow it, and acquiesce in the truth. For the unprincipled and
covetous attach themselves to the court, the churchmen to their
[ 248 ]
books, and the ambitious to the public offices ; b but as every man
is under the influence of some darling passion, so the love of letters
and the study of eloquence have from my infancy had peculiar
charms of attraction. Impelled by this thirst for knowledge, I
have carried my researches into the mysterious works of nature
farther than the generality of my cotemporaries, and for the benefit
of posterity have rescued from oblivion the remarkable events of
my own times. But this object was not to be secured without an
indefatigable, though at the same time an agreeable exertion ; for
an accurate investigation of every particular is attended with much
difficulty; it is difficult to produce an orderly account of the inves-
tigation and discovery of truth ; it is difficult to preserve from the
beginning to the end a connected relation unbroken by irrelevant
matter; and it is difficult to render the narration no less elegant in
the diction, than instructive in its matter, for in prosecuting the series
of events, the choice of happy expressions is equally perplexing,
as the search after them is painful. Whatever is written requires
the most intense thought, and every expression should be carefully
polished before it be submitted to the public eye ; for by exposing
itself to the examination of the present and of future ages, it must
necessarily undergo the criticism not only of the acute, but also of
the dissatisfied reader. Words merely uttered are soon forgotten,
and the admiration or disgust, which they occasioned, is no more ;
but writings once published are never lost, and remain as lasting
1 The literal meaning of the word pyxis here used by Giraldus, is a box, which by
• Du Cange is interpreted, Thesaurus, fiscus publicus, locus ubi asservantur pecunia pub-
lica, i. e. the public exchequer; it is also used in the sense of a ballot-box, in which
votes are collected, Pyxis capituli, in qua stiffragia colliguntur, %c.
[ 249 ]
memorials either of the glory or the disgrace of the author. Hence
the observation of Seneca, that the malicious attention of the envious
reader dwells with no less satisfaction on a faulty than on an elegant
expression, and is as anxious to discover what it may ridicule, as
what it may commend : as the poet also observes :
" Discit enim citius, meminitque libentius illud
" Quod quis deridet, quam quod probat et veneratur."
Among the pursuits therefore most worthy of commendation,
this holds by no means the loAvest rank ; for History, as the moral
philosopher declares, " is the record of antiquity, the testimony of
ages, the light of truth, the soul of memory, the mistress of con-
duct, and the herald of ancient times."
This study is the more delightful, as it is more honourable to
produce works worthy of being quoted, than to quote the works of
others ; as it is more desireable to be the author of compositions,
which deserve to be admired, than to be esteemed a good judge of
the writings of others ; as it is more meritorious to be the just
object of other men's commendations, than to be considered an
adept in pointing out the merits of others. On these pleasing
reflections I feed and regale myself; for I would rather resemble
Jerom than Croesus, and I prefer to riches themselves the man
who is capable of despising them. With these gratifying ideas I
rest contented and delighted, valuing moderation more than in-
temperance, and an honourable sufficiency more than superfluity;
for intemperance and superfluity produce their own destruction,
but their opposite virtues never perish : the former vanish, but
the latter, like eternity, remain for ever : in short, I prefer praise to
lucre, and reputation to riches.
VOL. ii. K k
DESCRIPTION
OF
WALES.
DESCRIPTION
OF
WALES,
BOOK I.
CHAPTER I.
LENGTH AND BREADTH OF WALES.— NATURE OF ITS SOIL.—
THREE REMAINING TRIBES OF BRITONS.
CAMBRIA, which by a corrupt and common term, though less
proper, is in modern times called Wales, is about two hundred
miles long, and one hundred broad. The length from Port Gordber
in Anglesey to Port Eskewin in Monmouthshire is eight days jour-
ney in extent ; the breadth from Porth Mawr, or the great Port of
Saint David's, to Ryd-helic, which in Latin means Vadum salicis,
or the ford of the Willow, and, in English is called Willow-forde,
is four days journey. It is a country very strongly defended by
[ 254 ]
high mountains, deep rallies, extensive woods, rivers, and marshes ;
insomuch that from the time the Saxons took possession of the
island, the remnants of the Britons, retiring into these regions,
could never be entirely subdued either by the English or by the
Normans ; those, who inhabited the southern angle of the island,
which took its name from the general Corinaeus, made less resis-
tance, as their country was more defenceless : the third division of
the Britons, who obtained a part of Britany in Gaul, were trans-
ported thither, not after the defeat of their nation, but long before,
by King Maximus ; who in consequence of the hard and continued
warfare which they underwent with him, were rewarded by the
royal munificence with those districts in France."
ANNOTATIONS ON CHAPTER I.
PORT GORDBER. — This port is written Gordwr by Humphrey Lhwyd
in his Breviary of Britain, and is probably a corruption from Gord-
dyar, a roaring, applied to the sea, as Gorddyar mor, the roaring of
the sea.
a Little Brytaine is a countrie in France, called in Caesar's time Armorica, and
after inhabited by Brytaines, who about the yeare of Christ 384, under the conduct
of Conan Lord of Meriadoc, now Denbighland, went out of this isle with Maximus the
tyrant, to his aid against the Emperour Gratianus, and winning the said countrie of
Armorica, (which Maximus gave Conan and his people) slue and drave out all the old
inhabitants thereof, planting themselves in the same, where they to this daie speake
the Brytish toong, being the third remnant of the ancient Brytaines. Powel, p. 2.
[ 255 ]
Port Eskewin. — This harbour, now known by the name of Port-
scwit, (and recorded in the Triades as one of the three passages
or ferries in the Isle of Britain,) is situated ou the Welsh side of
the Bristol Channel, at a short distance from the lower passage.
Port Mawr, or the large port, is thus mentioned by Leland in his
Itinerary, Tom. V. p. 28, 29 : " About a mile of is Port Mawre,
where is a great sande with a shorte estuary into the lande. And
sum say that there hath beene a castel at or aboute Port Mawr, but
the tokens be not very evidente."
Rhyd-helyg, or the ford of the Willow — I imagine this place is
Walford in Herefordshire, near the banks of the river Wye.
Corinaeus. — It is said that Brutus (the first King of the Trojan
dynasty, according to the fable blended with the true history of
Britain by the early chroniclers), in his journey towards Britain,
met with a company of Trojans, who had fled from Troy with
Antenor and Corinaeus at their head, who submitted themselves
to Brutus, and joined his company ; which Corinaeus being a very
valiant man rendered great service to Brutus during his wars in
Gaul and Britain. Brutus, departing from the coast of Armorica,
landed at Totnes in Devonshire. The venerable Bede says, that the
first Britons came hither ex Iraclu Armoricano; but no inference
can be drawn from thence that the Britons of Armorica, who were
first planted there by the tyrant Maximus, about 400 years after
Christ, gave the name to this island, which was called Britain by
Aristotle, about 400 years before Christ. Brutus having subdued
the island, divided it amongst his people ; and he gave Cornwal
to Corinaeus, who, as it is said, called it after his own name,
Cernyw. Lewis's Ancient History of Britain, p. 28.
[ 256 ]
The historian Camden, in his account of Cornwall, says, " licet
alii a nescio quo Bruti socio, dictam velint Cornwalliam, Coriniam-
que meminent, juxta fabulosi poetae carmen :
" Pars Corinaea datur Corinaeo, de duce nomen
" Patria, deque viro gens Corinensis habet."
CHAPTER II.
ANCIENT DIVISION OF WALES.
WALES was in ancient times divided into three parts nearly equal,
consideration having been paid, in this division, more to the value
than the quantity or proportion of territory. Venedotia, now called
North Wales ; Demetia, or South Wales, which in British is called
Deheubarth, that is the southern part ; and Powys, the middle or
eastern district. Roderic the Great, or Rhodri Mawr, who was king
over all Wales, was the cause of this division. He had three sons,
Mervin, Anarawt, and Cadelh, amongst whom he partitioned the
whole principality: North Wales fell to the lot of Mervin ; Powys to
Anarawt ; and Cadelh received the portion of South Wales, together
with the general good wishes of his brothers and the people ; for
although this district greatly exceeded the others in quantity, it was
the least desirable from the number of noble chiefs, or Uchelwyr,*
1 Uchelwyr, so called from Uchel, high, and gwr, a man.
[257 ]
men of a superior rank, who inhabited it, and were often rebellious
to their lords, and impatient of control. But Cadelh, on the death
of his brothers, obtained the entire dominion of Wales,b as did his
successors till the time of Theodor, whose descendants, Rhys son
of Theodor ; Gruffydh son of Rhys ; and Rhys son of Gruffydh, the
ruling Prince in our time, enjoyed only (like the father) the sove-
reignty over South Wales.
ANNOTATIONS ON CHAPTER II.
ALTHOUGH it is the opinion of most writers, that Roderic the Great
was the first person who divided the kingdom of Wales into three
provinces, which he distributed to his three sons ; I shall prove,
from ancient authorities, that long before the destruction of Britain,
it was so divided.
There is extant a very old treatise on the British laws, which
testifies, that after the death of Vortipor, the inhabitants of Vene-
dotia, Powys, and Dernetia assembled together, for the purpose of
electing a new king, and that they elected Maelgwn King of North
Wales to be their sovereign. And the British histories also testify,
that Morgan King of Demetia, or West Wales, Cadvan King of
Venedotia, or North Wales, and Bledrick King of Cornwall, came to
b This assertion is unfounded, if we give credit to the Welsh Chronicle, which dates
the death of Cadelh in 907, and that of Anarawd in 9 13.
VOL. II. L 1
[ 258 ]
the assistance of Brochmael King of Powys and Earl of Chester,
against Ethelfred King of Northumberland, whom they defeated in
a bloody battle at Bangor in Flintshire ; upon which Cadvan was
unanimously proclaimed King of Britain. All these things hap-
pened long before the birth of Roderic, who cannot therefore be
said to have been the first author of these three divisions of
Wales.
This note, given by the annotator Dr. Powel to the Latin edition
of Giraldus, is in a great measure corroborated by Lewis, in his
ancient history of Britain, and Humphrey Lhwyd in his Breviary.
The former says, that Maelgwn G wined, the son of Caswallon Llaw-
hir, kc. being King of North Wales, was made King of Britain,
A. D. 552; and the latter adds more particularly, " that Wales,
after the British destruction, was divided into six regions, as I read
of late in a very auncient booke, written of the lawes of the Bri-
taynes. For (sayth that booke) after that the Saxons had vanquished
the Britaynes, and obtayned the scepter of the realme, and the
crowne of London ; all the people of Wales assembled together at
the mouth of the river Devey, to choose a kinge. And thither
came men of Gwynedh (or North Wales) ; men of Powys ; men of
Deheubarth, (or South Wales) ; men of Reynwicc, or Hereford-
shire ; men of Esylluc, or Monmouthshire ; and men of Mor-
gania, or Glamorganshire; and they chose Maelgwn to be their
kynge."
Our author Giraldus differs from the Welsh Chronicle, in making
Mervin the eldest son of Roderic, instead of Anarawd ; and in
giving him the principality of North Wales, and that of Powys,
to Anarawd. Vaughan, in his scarce little tract entitled British
[259 ]
Antiquities revived 1662, differs in his opinion with respect to
Giraldus, and endeavours to prove, that Cadelh Prince of South
Wales was the eldest son of Roderic, who has also that superiority
given him in the Cambrian Biography.1
The Welsh Chronicle informs us, that in the year 876, Roderic
the Great gave Aberfraw, with North Wales, to his eldest son
1 It appears as if the seniority of the sons of Roderic, had been made a matter of
dispute in Wales ; the south giving the precedence to Cadelh, and the north to Ana-
rawd. The printed Welsh Chronicle, and Vaughan of Hengwrt, take the part of the
latter; and they are ably opposed by a writer of South Wales. I think the weight of
evidence and probability must be in favour of South Wales. As a fresh testimony on
the same side, I shall add some verses by Cynddelw Brydydd Llychwin. — Owen.
1.
Trimab i Rodri, mewn tremyn y caid,
Cadell, 'Narawd, Mervyn ;
Rhanu a' wnaed a. vu ran un,
Rhoddiad holl Gymru rhyddyn'.
Three sons to Rhodri, in prospect they were had,
Cadell, Anarawd, and Mervyn ;
A partition was made of what was the share of one,
The distribution of all Wales between them.
2.
Rhoddiad a gafad er gwell don avel,
Dinevwr i Cadell ;
Mab hynav ei ystavell,
Y pe nav oedd; pw vai well?
A distribution was obtained for the better holding of the title,
Dinevor to Cadell ;
The eldest child of his chamber.
The chief was he ; who could there be better f
[ 260 ]
Anarawd : Dinevawr, with South Wales, to his second son Cadelh ;
and Mathraval and Powys to his third son Mervyn, on whose death
s.
Anarawd, gwastawd dan go'yn gyvan
A gavas Aberfro ;
Daioous o'i dy yno
Ve biau breiniau a bro.
Anarawd, of continued record, completely
He did obtain Aberfraw ;
Goodly in his mansion there,
He claims privileges and country.
4.
Gwir, gwir a Dd'wedir, i ddyn, pai ieuane,
Rhos Powys i Vervyn :
Llyma'r modd, val adroddyn'
Y treir rhwng y triwyr hyn.
Truth, truth is declared, to a man, being young,
The giving of Powys to Mervyn :
Lo, this the manner, as they have recorded,
That things are regulated between these three men.
From the Archaiology.
A. D. 872. The country of Wales was divided into three kingdoms, between the
three sons of Rhodri, that is to say, Cadell, the eldest son, had Ceredigion and Dyved ;
Anarawd, the second, had Gwynedd; and Mervyn, the third, had Powys, leaving the
district between the Severn and Wy to the descendants of Caradoc Vreichvras (brawny
arm), and Morganwg and Gwent to the descendants of Morgan the Courteous; so
that Wales, and the nation of the Cymry came under five royal tribes. Chronicle of
Jevan Brechva.
Rhodri Mawr instituted a new regulation in the government of the Cymry (Welsh)
as far as his power extended ; Cadell, his eldest son, had Ceredigion, and he had his
court at Dinevwr. Gwynedd he gave to Anarawd his son, who had his court at Aber-
fraw in Mon. Powys he gave to Mervyn his son, and he had his court at Mathraval.
The eldest was tributary to the King of London, and the eldest received a tribute
[ 261 ]
Cadelh forcibly seized his principality of Powys, arid thus became
possessor of two-thirds of the kingdom. He died A. D. 907, leav-
ing issue three sons, the eldest of whom Howel, surnamed the Good,
succeeded to the principality of South Wales ; Anarawd King of
North Wales, died A. D. 913, and was succeeded by his eldest son
Edwal Voel.
from the other two; and they were styled the three diademed princes, because that
they, more particularly than any before them, wore frontlets round their crowns, as
kings were wont to do in other countries; for previous to that time, the kings and
princes of the nation of the Cymry only wore gold bands. To the eldest of the dia-
demed princes Rhodri gave the sovereignty, enjoining them to defend the country and
nation of the Cymry against the assault of enemies, and against anarchy. A. D. 876,
Cadell, son of Rhodri M aw r, became King of Ceredigion; and Anarawd, son of Rhodri,
King of Gvvynedd; and Mervyn, son of Rhodri, King of Powys. Chronicle of Caradoc
Llancarvan.
[ 262 ]
CHAPTER III.
GENEALOGY OF THE PRINCES OF WALES.
THE following is the generation of princes of South Wales ; Rhys
son of Gruffyclh, Gruffydh son of Rhys, Rhys son of Theodor,
Theodor son of Eineon, Eineon son of Owen, Owen son of Howel
Dha, or Howel the Good, Howel son of Cadelh son of Roderic the
Great. The princes of South Wales derived their origin from
Cadelh son of Roderic the Great. The princes of North Wales de-
scended from Mervin in this manner; Lhewelyn son of Jorwerth,
Jorwerlh son of Owen, Owen son of Gruffydh, Gruffydh son of
Conan, Conan son of Jago, Jago son of Edoual, Edoual son of Meyric,
Meyric son of Anarawt, Anarawt son of Mervin son of Roderic the
Great ; Anarawt leaving no issue, the princes of Powys have their
own particular descent.
It is worthy of remark, that the Welsh bards and singers, or
reciters, have the genealogies of the aforesaid princes, written in
the Welsh language, in their ancient and authentic books ; and also
retain them in their memory from Roderic the Great to B. M.a; and
' B. M. 'J his abbreviation, which in every manuscript I have seen ofGiraldus, has been
construed into Beatam Mariam : and in many of them is written Beatant Virgimm;
may, with much greater propriety, be applied to Belinus Magnus, or Beli the Great,
a distinguished British king, to whom most of the British pedigrees ascended ; and
because his name occurred so frequently in them, it was often written short B. M.
which some men, in derision of the Welsh pedigrees, interpreted Beata Maria.
[ 263 ]
from thence to Sylvius, Ascanius, and ^Eneas ; and from the
latter produce the genealogical series in a lineal descent, even to
Adam.
But as an account of such long and remote genealogies may ap-
pear to many persons trifling rather than historical, we have pur-
posely omitted them in our compendium.
CHAPTER IV.
CANTREDS. ROYAL PALACES. CATHEDRALS.
SOUTH WALES contains twenty-nine cantreds ; North Wales, twelve ;
Powys, six : many of which are at this time in the possession of the
English and Franks ; for the country now called Shropshire, for-
merly belonged to Powys, and the place where the castle of Shrews-
bury stands, bore the name of Pengwern, or the head of the Alder
Grove. There were three royal seats in South Wales : Dinevor in
South Wales, removed from Caerleon ; Abcrfraw in North Wales ;
and Pengwern in Powys.
Wales contains fifty-four cantreds ; the word Cunlref is derived
from Cant a hundred, and Trefa. village ; and means in the British
and Irish languages such a portion of land as contains a hundred
villages.
There are four cathedral churches in Wales : Saint David's, upon
[264 ]
the Irish sea, David the Archbishop being its patron: it was in
ancient times the metropolitan church, and the district once con-
tained twenty-four cantreds, though at this time only twenty-three ;
for Ergengl, in English called Urchenfeld," is said to have been
formerly within the diocese of Saint David's, and sometimes was
placed within that of Landaff. The see of Saint David's had
twenty-five successive archbishops ; and from the time of the
removal of the pall into France, to this day, twenty-two bishops ;
whose names and series, as well as the cause of the removal of the
archiepiscopal pall, may be seen in our Itinerary, Vol. II. Chapter I.
In South Wales also is situated the Bishopric of Landaff, near the
Severn sea, and near the noble castle of Caerdyf ; Bishop Teilo
being its patron: it contains five cantreds, and the fourth part of
another, namely, Senghennyd.
In North Wales between Anglesey and the Eryri Mountains is the
see of Bangor, under the patronage of Daniel the Abbot : it contains
about nine cantreds.
In North Wales also is the poor little cathedral of Llan-Elwy, or
Saint Asaph, containing about six cantreds, to which Powys is
subject.
1 A great lordship in Herefordshire, a particular account of which is given in the
annotations on this chapter.
[265 ]
ANNOTATIONS ON CHAPTER IV.
THE limits of the various districts of Wales and their names have
been retained from a very remote period to the present time,
independent of the arrangement of them into shires, as imposed by
the English Government. The following table contains those
ancient divisions from a survey made by Lhewelyn, the last Prince
of Wales, which is preserved in the Red Book of Jesus College,
Oxford, and printed in the Myvyrian Archaiology, Volume II.
page G06.
In this manner the hundreds and comots of all Wales were
divided in the time of Llywelyn ab Grufydd, the last Prince of the
Welsh.
Wales consists of three provinces ; one depending on Aberfraw
in Mxm ; the second on Dinevwr, in the south ; and the third on
Mathraval, in Powys.
To Aberfraw were assigned the 15 hundreds of Gwynedd, as
here described.
MON. (Anglesey.)
1. The hundred of Aberfraw, with its comots of Llivon and
Malltraeth.
2. The hundred of Rhosyr, with its comots of Tindaethwy and
Menai.
3. The hundred of Cemaes, with its comots of Twrcelyn and
Talybolion.
VOL. II.
Mm
[ 266 ]
CAER YN ARVON.
4. The hundred of Aber, with its comots of Llechwedd Uchav,
Llechwedd Isav, and Nant Conwy.
5 . The hundred of Arvon. with its comots of Uwch Gwyrvai and
Is Gwyrvai.
6. The hundred of Dunodig, with its comots of Ardudwy and
Eivionydd.
7. The hundred of Lleyn, with its comots of Maen, Dinlleyn and
Canologion.
MEIRIONYDD.
8. The hundred of Meirion, with its comots of Tal-y-bont, Penal,
and Ystum-anner.
9. The hundred of Arwystli, with its comots of Uwch Coed, Is
Coed, and Gwerthrynion.
10 The hundred of Penllyn, with its comots of Uwch Meloch,
Is Meloch, and Mignant.
PERVEDDWLAD.
(Middle Country.)
1 1 The hundred of Ystrad, with its comots of Hiraethog and
Cynmeirch.
12. The hundred of Rhyvoniog, with its comots of Uwch Aled
and Is Aled.
13. The hundred of Rhos, with its comots of Uwch Dulas, Is
Dulas, and Creuddyn.
14. The hundred of Dyfryn Clwyd, with its comots of Coelogion,
Llanerch, and Rhuthyn.
[ 267 ]
15. The hundred of Tegeingyl, with its comots of Cynsyllt,
Prestatyn, and Rhuddlan.
Thus there were found in that province 15 hundreds and 38
comots.
The province of Mathraval contained the following hundreds
and comots.
POWYS MADOG.
1 . The hundred of Barwn, with its comots of Dinmael, Edeyr-
nion, and Glyn-Dyvrdwy.
2. The hundred of Rhiw, with its comots of Jal, Ystrad-Alun,
and Hob.
3. The hundred of Uwchnant, with its comots of Merfordd,
Maelor Gymraeg, and Maelor Seisonig.
4. The hundred of Trevred, with its comots of Croes Vaen,
Trev-y-Waen, and Croes Oswalt.
5. The hundred of Rhaiadyr, with its comots of Mochnant is
Rhaiadyr, Cynllaith, and Nantheudwy.
POWYS GWENWYNWYN.
6. The hundred of Evyrnwy, with its comots of Mochnant
uwch Rhaiadyr, Mechain is Coed, and Llanerch Hudol.
7. The hundred of Ystrad, with its comots of Deuddwr, Gorddwr
Isav, and Ystrad Marchell.
8. The hundred of Llyswynav, with its comots of Caer Einion
and Mechain uwch Coed.
9. The hundred of Cydewain, with its comots of Uwch Hanes
(Afes) and Is Hanes (Afes).
[ 268 ]
10. The hundred of Cynan, with its comots of Cyveiliog and
Mawddwy.
RHWNG GWY A HAVREN.
(between the Wye and Severn.)
11. The hundred of Maelienydd, with its comots of Ceri, Bud-
dygre, Rhiwlallt, and Glyn Jeithon.
12. The hundred of Elvel, with its comots of Uwch Mynydd,
Is Mynydd, and Dyvnog.
13. The hundred of the Clawdd (or Dyke), with its comots of
Teveidiad, Swydd Hynogion, and Penallt.
14. The hundred of Buallt, with its comots of Y Waen (Swydd
y Van. Dinan) Swydd Trevlys, and Is Irwon.
Thus there were found, in the province of Mathraval, 14 hun-
dreds and 40 comots.
*
The province of Dinevwr had the following hundreds :
f
CEREDIGION.
1. The hundred of Penwedig, with its comots of Genau y Glyn,
Pervedd, and Creuddyn.
2. The hundred of Canol, with its comots of Mevenydd, Anhu-
nog, and Penardd.
3. The hundred of Gadell, with its comots of Caerwedros and
Mabwynion.
4. The hundred of Seirwen (Hirwaen), with its comots of Gwi-
nionydd, and Iscoed.
[ 269 ]
CAERVYRDDIN. (Caermarthen).
5 . The hundred of Finiog, with its comots of Hirvryn, Pervedd,
and Is Cenen.
6. The hundred of Eginog, with its comots of Gwyr, Cydweli,
and Carnwyllion.
7. The Bychan (little) hundred, with its comots of Mallaen,
Caeo, and Maenor Deivi.
8. The Mawr (great) hundred, with its comots of Cetheiniog,
Mab Elvyw (Elved), Mab Uchdryd, and Gwidigada.
BRYCHEINIOG. (Brecknock).
9. The hundred of Selyv, with its comots of Selyv and Trahaiarn
10. The Canol (middle) hundred, with its comots of Talgarth,
Ystrad Yw Uchav, and Ystrad Yw Isav (Eglwys Jail).
1 1. The Mawr (great) hundred, or Lliwel, with its comots of Tir
Rawf, Lliwel, and Crug Hyvvel.
MORGANWG. (Glamorgan).
12. The hundred of Gorvvennydd, with its comots of Rhwng
Nedd ac Avan, Rhwng Nedcl a Thawy, Y Coetty (Tir Jarll), and
Glyn Ogwr.
13. The hundred of Penydden, with its comots of Tal y Van
(Yvan), Rhuthyn, Meisgyn, and Glyn Rhoddni.
14. The Breiniol (royal) hundred, with its comots of Cibwr,
Seinghenydd, Uwch Caeach, and Is Caeach.
15. The hundred of Gwaenllwg, with its comots of Cwmwd yr
Haidd, Cwmwd Canol, Edlygion, Mynydd, and Trev Bervedd.
[ 270]
GWENT. (Monmouthshire).
16. The hundred of Gwent Uwch Coed, with its comots of
Mynwy, Iscoed, Llevenydd, and Trev y Grug.
1 7 . The hundred of Iscoed Gwent, with its comots of Bryn Byga,
Uwch coed, Teirtrev, Erging, and Euas.
DYVED. (Pembrokeshire).
18. The hundred of Emlyn, with its comots of Uwch Cuch, Is
Cuch, and Llefethyr.
19. The hundred of Arberth, with its comots of Penryn ar Elain,
Esgyrogev (Esterolev), and Talacharn.
20. The hundred of Daugleddyv, with its comots of Atngoed,
Pennant, and Y Velvre.
21 - The hundred of the Coed (wood), with its comots of Lanhua-
dain and Castell Gwys.
22. The hundred of Penvro (Land's end), with its comots Coed
yr Hav and Maenor Byr.
23. The hundred of Rhos, with its comots of Hawrfordd, Castell
Gwalchmai, and Y Garn.
24. The hundred of Pebidiog, with its comots of Mynyw and
Pencaer.
25. The hundred of Cemaes, with its comots Uwch Nyver, Is
Nyver, and Trevdraeth.
Thus there were found in the province of Dinevwr, 2,5 hundreds,
and in them 78 comots.
By the foregoing statement, we find that Aberfraw contained
fifteen hundreds, and thirty-eight comots ; Mathraval fourteen hun-
[271 ] -
dreds, and forty comots ; and Dinevwr twenty-five hundreds, and
seventy-eight comots, making, in the whole, fifty-four cantreds, or
hundreds, and thus agreeing with the number stated by Giraldus.
Of the three royal seats here mentioned, Dinevwr alone retains
marks of its ancient dignity; its situation and history are described
in the Itinerary, Vol. I. page 180.
Aberfraw, a small town situated at the conflux of the river Fraw
and the sea, on the SW. part of the isle of Anglesey, and twelve
miles SE. of Holyhead. It was formerly a considerable place, and
noted for having been the residence of eleven princes of North
Wales. We cannot at this time discover any vestiges of the royal
palace, nor have we any records whereby to judge of its ancient
form and position; but it is generally supposed to have been
situated in a field adjoining the town, on the spot where a barn
now stands, which probably was built out of its ruins ; for the
stones in some parts of it appear to have been better wrought than
is common in such buildings. Supplement to Rowland's Mona,
p. 41.
In speaking of Aberfraw, Mr. Pennant says, " This princely re-
sidence is now reduced to a few poor houses, seated on the river
Fraw, near a small bay. Not a vestige is to be seen of its former
boast. It was a chief seat of our princes, and one of the three
courts of justice for the principality. Here was always kept one of
the three copies of the ancient code of laws. This place was of
great antiquity, being one of the three fixed upon by Roderic the
Great about the year 870, for the residence of his successor. In
962, it was ravaged by the Irish." Pennant, Vol. II. p. 228.
Mathraval — The Welsh Chronicle informs us, that upon the
[ 272 ]
making of Offa's dyke, A. D. 795, " the seate of the Kings of Powys
was translated from Pengwern, now called Salop, to Mathraval,
where it continued long after." The ancient British name of
Shrewsbury was Pengwern, that is, the head of the alder grove ;
and derived perhaps from its wooded situation :
Edita Pengwerni late fastigia splendent,
Urbs sita lunato veluti mediamnis in orbe,
Colle tumet moclico, duplici quoque ponte superbit,
Accipiens patria sibi lingua nomen ab alnis.
Historv does not record for how manv centuries Mathraval was
<- >
honoured as the residence of the Powysiaii princes: the Welsh
Chronicle says. '• that during the reign of King John, A. D.
1112, Prince Lhewelyn. coming to Powys, laid siege to the castle,
which Robert Vepont had made at Mathraval. But when the king
was informed of all this, he levied an armye, and came thither to
raise the siege, and caused the castle to be destroyed.1
Powys — The ancient boundaries of the principality of Powys
have been thus ascertained in the Welsh Chronicle. "Powys, before
King Oflfa's time, reached eastward to the rivers Dee and Severn,
with a right line from the end of Broxen hills to Salop, with all
the countrv between Wve and Severn, whereof Brochwel Yscithroc
• 4
was possessed ; but after the making of Ofla's dyke, the plain coun-
try toward Salop being inhabited by Saxons and Normans, the
length of Powys extended from Pulford bridge north-east, to the
confines of Cardiganshire in the parish of Lhanguric in the south-
1 A raised mound of earth, and some indistinct traces of walls, mark the site of this
castle on the banks of the river Vjrnwy.
[ 273 ]
west ; and the breadth, from the farthest part of Cyveiliog westward
to Ellesmere on the east. This principality of Powys was appointed
by Roderic the Great for the portion of his son Anarawd, and con-
tinued entire until the death of Blethyn ap Convyn ; after whom,
although the dominion was diminished by limiting parts in seve-
rally amongst his sons, Meredyth and Cadogan, yet at length it came
wholly into the possession of Meredyth ap Blethyn, who had issue
two sons, Madoc and Gruffyth, between whom the said dominion
was divided ; Madoc had that part of Powys, which from his name
was afterwards called Powys Vadoc, or Madog : which seignory was
subdivided amongst his three sons; Gruffyth Maelor had the
two Maelors and Mochnant is Rhaiadyr; Owen ap Madoc had
Mechain is Coed ; and Owen Brogynton, though basely begotten,
yet, for his valiancy and noble courage, had as part of his father's
inheritance, Edeyrnion and Dinmael. The principality of Powys
Madog being thus parcelled out into so many small portions, fell
into the hands of the Mortimers, Warrens, Fitz- Alans, and other
noble families.
The other part of Powys, containing the countries of Anvystli,
Cyveiliog, Lhannerch-hudol, Caer-einion, Mochnant uwch Rhai-
adyr, Mechain uwch Coed, Mouthwy, Deuthwr, Strat Marchell,
and Teir-tref, or the three towns, rightfully descended to Gruffyth
ap Meredyth ap Blethyn, who was by King Henry the First created
Baron of Powys. He left one son, the celebrated Owen Cyveiliog,
who enjoyed his whole inheritance as his father did, and married
Gwenlhian, the daughter of Owen Gwynedh Prince of North Wales,
by whom he had issue Gwenwynwyn ; after whose name that part
of Powys was called Powys Gwenwynwyn.
VOL. ii. N n
[274 ]
Powys Castle — This castle is supposed to be the same mentioned
in the Welsh Chronicle as being situated near Welsh-pool. " Now
when Madoc saw his uncle Cadogan rule the countrie, he hid him-
self in rough and desert places, and adding one mischiefe upon
another, determined also to murther him by one waie or other.
Therefore after that Cadogan had brought the countrie to some
staie of quietnesse, and saw right and justice ministred therein,
having ever an eie and respect to the King, he came to the
Trallwng (now called the Poole), and the elders of the countrie
with him, and minding to dwell there, began to build a castell.
Then Madoc, pretending nothing but mischiefe, hearing this, came
suddenlie upon him, and Cadogan, thinking no hurt, was slaine
before he could either fight or flee." Powel, p. 171.
Thus it appears that this castle was begun by Cadogan ap Blethyn
about the year 1110, whose intentions of residing there were cruelly
frustrated by the bloody minded Madoc his uncle.
In the year 1194, we find it in the possession of Gwenwynwyn,
the son and heir of Owen Cyveiliog, when it was besieged by
Hubert Archbishop of Canterbury. " Not long after the Arch-
bishop of Canturburie came with an huge power towardes Wales,
and laied seige to the castell of Gwenwynwyn at the Poole; but the
garrison defended the hold so manfullie, that he lost manie of his
men, and could doo no good. Therefore he sent for miners, and
set them on worke to undermine the wals ; which thing, when the
garrison understood, and knowing that their enemies were three to
one, they were content to yield up the castell upon condition that
they might depart with their armour freelie ; which offer the arch-
bishop tooke, sufferinge them to passe quietlie, and fortifieng the
castell againe stronglie to the king's use, and placing therein a
garrison for the defense thereof, returned to England. But imme-
diately Gwenwynwyn laid siege to it againe, and shortlie after
received it upon the same conditions that his men had given it up,
and kept the same to his owne use." Powel, p. 248.
The lordship of this castle descended to Gruffydh, the son of
Gwenwynwyn, in whose time it took the name of Castell Coch,
or the Red Castle, from the colour of the stones with which it
was constructed. In 1233 it was overthrown by Lhewelyn ap
Jorwerth.
On the death of Gruflfydh ap Gwenwynwyn, who left six sons,
the eldest named, Owen ap Gruffydh, succeeded to his territory in
Powys : he had only one daughter, named Hawys Gadarn, or Hawys
the Hardy, against whom her uncles challenged the lands of their
brother Owen, and affirmed, that a woman was not capable of
inheriting them in that country. Whereupon Hawys made such
friends in England, that the matter being opened unto King
Edward the Second, the said King bestowed her in marriage upon
a servant of his named John Charleton, styled Valectus Domini
Regis, who was born A. D. 1268, near Wellington in Shropshire,
whom he made Lord Powys in her right. This John Charleton
Lord Powys, being aided by the King, took three of his wife's
uncles prisoners, and laid them up fast in the King's castle at
Harlech: he also obtained a writ from the king to the sheriff
of the county of Salop, and to Sir Roger Mortimer, justice of
Wales, for the apprehension of another uncle, named Gruffydh
Vachan, who with his two sons in law, were still in arms against
the said Charleton and his wife Hawys: whereupon Gruffydh
[ 276 ]
and his brethren submitted themselves to the king's order, touching
all matters at variance between them and their neece. Powel,
p.
This lordship seems to have continued in the family of Charleton
until the death of Edward Lord Powys A. D. 1420, when it was
divided into three parts, between his widow Elizabeth and his two
daughters Jane and Joyce.
Sir John Grey of Berwick in Northumberland by his marriage
with the aforesaid Jane, became possessed of the barony of Powys,
and it remained in his family till the latter end of the reign of King
Henry VIII. when the title became extinct by the death of Edward
Grey, who died without issue. Powel, p. 2,18.
I find this castle in the possession of Sir Edward Herbert, second
son of William Herbert Earl of Pembroke, who died A. D. 1569
( 1 1 Eliz.). Sir Edward Herbert died in the following year, leaving
issue four sons, of whom the eldest, William, was made knight of
the Bath at the coronation of King James, and afterwards by letters
patent was created Lord Powys of Powys in the marches of Wales.
He married Eleanor, daughter to Henry Percy, the eighth Earl of
Northumberland, and died A. D. 1655, leaving his title and inheri-
tance to his son Percy, during whose life (about the year 1644)
Powys castle was taken by Sir Thomas Middleton, and its lord
made prisoner. He died A. D. 1666, and was buried at Welsh-
pool, leaving issue William, his only son, who, in consideration of
his eminent loyalty to the king, and other his special merits, was by
letters patent, bearing date April 26, Carol. II., advanced to the
dignity of Earl of Powys. The title and estates still continue in the
same noble family, and on the death of the late George Earl of
Powys, the title was conferred on Edward Lord Clive, who married
Henrietta Antonia Herbert, sister of the said Earl.
Leland in his Itinerary, Tom. V. fol. 29, gives the following
account of this principality :
" Powis borderithe one way apon North Wales in Merionethe-
shire, as concerninge the limits of Cavelioc (Cyveiliog) lordshipe
and is in lengthe by gesse a xx miles. For it is xvi miles betwixt
Cairllews (Caersws) and Mahen Cliff (Machunleth), and at the ends
of eche of thes places it extendith somewhat from the townes . . .
Low Powis is in lengthe from Buttigton bridge a
2 miles from the Walche Poole (Welsh-pool) toward Shrobbesbiri
(Shrewsbury) unto above
In all Hy Powis is not one castle that evidently aperithe by
manifest ruins of waulls ; and they wer wont to bringe in tymes
past, in the old Lord Duddley's dayes, theyr prisoners to Walche-
poole ; and in Low Powis is but onely the castle of the Walche-
poole."
Urchenfeld (or Erging,) is mentioned by Leland in his Itinerary,
Tom. V. p. 9, as a great lordship longging to the Erie of Shrewis-
biry, and lieth betwyxt Monemuth and Hereford, abowt a 2 myles
from eche of them. On the one side alluitur Vaga fluvio . . .
In the Conqueror's survey it is recorded that the king has in
Arcenfelde 100 men minus four, who hold 73 carucae with their
men, and pay for custom 41 pints of honey, and 20s. in lieu of the
sheep which they used to furnish, and 10^. smoke money (pro
fumagio), and no other toll or custom except serving in the king's
army if required. If a freeman dies there, the king has his horse
and arms ; and if a villan, one ox. King Griffin and Blein ravaged
[ 378 ]
this tract in the Confessor's reign, and therefore the state of it at
that time cannot be ascertained.* The men of Archenfeld had
many valuable and honourable privileges : a liberty within their
circuits to arrest for any sum whatsoever ; and to bequeath their
lands in the manner they thought fit ; the most honourable post
was assigned them in the army, for they led the van to battle,
and defended the rear in its retreat. Several other particulars
respecting this district may be found in the additions to Camden
by Mr. Gough, Herefordshire, page 447.
1 As the printed copy of Domesday Book may not fall into the hands of all my
readers, I shall take this opportunity of laying before them a specimen of this ancient
and curious record, in the note respecting Arcenfelde, of which the above is a trans-
lation.
" In Arcenfelde h"t Rex c. hoes, iiii min'. qui h'ntLxxm car'cu suis hominibs. 7 dant
de c'suetudine XLI sextar7 mellis. 7 xx solid, p ovibs. quas soleb dare. 7 x solid, p
fumagio, nee dant geld' aut alia c'sueludin nisi q"d pugnantin exercitn regis sijussu
eis fuerit. Si lib' ho ibi morif rex h~t cabal lu ej' cu arinis. De villo cu inorit'. h"t
rex i. bove.
Rex Grifin 7 Blein vastaveru hanc tra T. R. E. 7 ideo nescit' qualis eo tepor*
fuerit. Domesday, Tom. I. p. 181
[ 279 ]
CHAPTER V.
MOUNTAINS AND RIVERS OF WALES.
WALES is divided and distinguished by many noble rivers, deriv-
ing their source from two ranges of mountains, the Ellennith, (or
Maelienydd,) in South Wales, which the English call Moruge, as
being the heads of moors, or bogs ; and Eryri, in North Wales, which
they call Snowdon, or mountains of snow ; the latter of which are
said to be of so great an extent, that if all the herds in Wales were
collected together, they would supply them with pasture for a
considerable time. Upon them are two lakes, one of which has a
floating island ; and the other contains fish having only one eye, as
we have related in our Itinerary.
We must also here remark, that at two places in Scotland, one
on the eastern, and the other on the western ocean, the sea-fish
called mullets have only the right eye.
The noble river Severn takes its rise from the Ellennith moun-
tains, and flowing by 'the castles of Shrewsbury and Briclgenorth,
through the cities of Worcester and Gloucester, celebrated for its
iron manufactories, falls into the sea a few miles from the latter
place, and gives its name to the Severn Sea. This river was for
many years the boundary between Wales and England ; it was
called in British Hafren, from a daughter of Locrinus, who was
drowned in it by her step-mother; the aspirate being changed,
according to the Latin idiom, into S, as is usual in words derived
[ 280 ]
from the Greek, it was termed Sabrina, as hal becomes sal; hemi,
semi; hepta, septem.
The river Wye rises in the same mountains of Ellennith, and
flows by the castles of Hay and Clifford, through the city of Here-
ford, by the castles of Wilton and Goodrich, through the forest of
Dean, abounding with deer and iron, and proceeds to Strighill1
castle, below which it empties itself into the sea, and forms in
modern times the boundary between England and Wales. The
Uskb does not derive its origin from these mountains, but from
those of Cantref Bychan ; it flows by the castle of Brecheinoc, or
Aberhodni, that is, the fall of the river Hodni into the Usk ; (for
Aber, in the British language, signifies every place where two rivers
unite their streams ;) by the castles of Abergevenni and Usk, through
the ancient city of the Legions, and discharges itself into the Severn
Sea not far from Newport.
The river Remni0 flows towards the sea from the mountains of
Brecheinoc, having passed the castle and bridge of Remni. From
the same range of mountains springs the Taf, which pursues its
course to the episcopal see of Landaff (to which it gives its name,)
* Strighill is better known by the name of Chepstow castle.
b Wiske risith in Blake Montein, a x miles above Brekenoc toward Caermadine, and
so rennith thorough the litle forest and great forest of Brekenok, and so cummith tho-
rough Redbrynu (Rhyd-y-briw) bridge, to Brekenok to Aberconureg, a maner place
of the Aubres, to Penkethle, to Creghoel, to Abregeveni, to Uske, Caerleon, Newport.
Leland Itin. Tom. V. p. 73.
The place wher the river of Wiske doth springe, as owt of a fontaine or welle, is
caullid Blainwiske. Ibid. p. 76.
c The hedde of Remney river is yn the hilles of High Wencelande : thens cumme
many springes, and taking one bottom ; and thens going into
Diffrin Risca (the Vale of the river Risca,) it is auginentid with Risca, a brooke cum-
[ 28' ]
and falls into the sea below the castle of Caerdif. The river Avon*
rushes impetuously from the mountains of Glamorgan, between the
celebrated Cistercian monasteries of Margan and Neth ; and the
river Neth, descending from the mountains of Brecheinoc, unites
itself with the sea at no great distance from the castle of Neth ;
each of these rivers forming a long tract of dangerous quicksands.
From the same mountains of Brecheinoc the river Taw flows down
to Abertawe, or Swainsey. The Lochore joins the sea near the
castle of the same name; and the Wendraethf has its confluence
near Cydweli. The Tywy,g another noble river, rises in the Ellen-
nith mountains, and separating the Cantref Mawr from the Cantref
Bychan, passes by the castle of Lhanymdhyfri, and the royal palace
ming ynto it oute of a paroche caullid Egglins-islan (Eglwysilan,) and then doth it al
bere the name of Risca : and camming to Bedwes paroche it is caullid Remny, and
by the same name into the Severne Se. Leland Itin. Tom. IV. p. 34.
d Avon ryver cum of 2 armes, wherof that that lyith north-est is caullid Avon Vawr,
and that that lyith north-west is caullid Avon Vehan. They mete togither at Lanvi-
hengle, about a 2 miles above Aberauson (Aberavon) village.
From the mouth of Avon to the mouth of Avon ryver is aboute a 2 miles and a half
al by low shore, shokid with Severn sandes and sum morisch groundes. Leland Itin.
Tom. IV. p. 50.
e Lochor river partith Kidwelli from West Gower lande. Ibid. Tom. V. p. 23.
f The course of the Gwendraeth Vawr and Vychan have been given in the Anno-
tations on the ninth chapter of the Itinerary, p. 170.
8 Towe (the Tywy of Giraldus) risith a un myles by south from Llyntyve (the Lake
of Tyve) in a morisch ground, and hath no Llyn at his hedd, and by estimation rennith
a xxn miles or he cum to Llanamdevery (Llandovery.) He first rennith sumwhat by
south, and then a greate way by west, and at last turneth againe toward south. Leland
Itin. Tom. V. p. 87.
And in another place, the same author, speaking of this river, says, " The hed of
Tewe (Towy) ryver cumynge to Cairmarden, is in a forrest wodde caullyd Bysshopp's
Forest, about a xxnn myles from Cairmarden, and the hed of this ryver is almoste
in the midle waye betwixt Llandewy streme and Llancanery (Llandovery) castle."
VOL. II. Oo
[ 282 ]
and castle of Dinevor, strongly situated in the deep recesses of its
woods, towards Gaermardhyn, where Merlin was found, and from
whom the city received its name ; from thence it runs into the sea
near the castle of Lanstephan. The river Taveh rises in the Pres-
seleu mountains, not far from the monastery of Whitland, and
passing by the castle of Saint Clare, falls into the sea near Aber-
corran and Talacharn. From the same mountains flow the rivers
Cledheu, encompassing the province of Daugledheu, and giving it
their name ; one passes by Lahaden, and the other by Haverford,
to the sea, and in the British language bear the name of Daugledheu,
or two swords.
The river Teivi ' springs from the Ellennith mountains, in the
upper part of the Cantref Mawr and Caerdigan, not far from the
pastures and celebrated monastery of Stratflur, forming a boundary
between Demetia and Caerdigan down to the Irish channel ; this is
the only river in Wales that produces beavers, an account of which
h Tava risith in the mountains of Presseleu, not far from Teguin, ar Tave (Ty
Gwyn ar Tave, or the white house on the Tave,) by the which it cummith, and so by
S. Clares, and not far from Aberc'orran and Talacharne it goith into the se. I herd
ons that it risith in a montaine caullid Wrenne Vawr (Vrenny Vawr) a mi myles from
Caerdigein (Cardigan). Leland Itin. Tom. V. p. 22.
1 There is a Llyn a mi miles from Stratflure, caullyd Llin Tyve about in
bredthe. Tyve cummithe out of this poole, so to Stratflure Abbay, and there aboute
cummithe in Glesrodeburne sumwhat benethe the abbay. Glesrode risethe a 3 miles
from Stralflure in the mountaynes in the hy way toward Buelthe. Tyve or ever he
cum to Stratflure takethe but a lytle botom, but fletithe and ragith upon stones, as
Glesrode dothe. And or Tyve cum to Stratflure, he reseivithe a litle brooke caullyd
Llinhiglande. Glesrode some tyme so rageth that he carriethe stones from these
placis. Tyve goithe from Stratflure toTregaron, a village a mi miles of on the hither
side, and this commithe in anothar brooke caullid Grose, that within a litle goithe into
Tyve. Leland Itin. Tom. VII.
[ 283 ]
is given in our Itinerary ; and also exceeds every other river in the
abundance and delicacy of its salmon. But as this book may fall
into the hands of many persons who will not meet with the other,
I have thought it right here to insert many curious and particular
qualities relating to the nature of these animals, how they convey
their materials from the woods to the river, with what skill they
employ these materials in constructing places of safety in the
middle of the stream, how artfully they defend themselves against
the attack of the hunters on the eastern and western sides ; the
singularity of their tails, which partake more of the nature of fish
than flesh. For further particulars see the Itinerary.11
From the same mountains issues the Ystwyth,1 and flowing
through the upper parts of Penwedic in Cardiganshire, falls into
the sea near the castle of Aberystwyth. From the snowy mountains
of Eryri flows the noble river Devi,m dividing for a great distance
North and South Wales ; and from the same mountains also the
large river Maw," forming by its course the greater and smaller
k Our author seems at first to have intended giving a repetition of the history of the
beaver in this Description of Wales, being a separate work from the Itinerary ; but he
afterwards alters his mind, and refers the reader for an account of it to the Itinerary ;
which may be found in Chapter IV. Book II.
1 Ustwith risith owt of a moorish grounde caullid Blaene Ustwith, in miles from
Llangibike on Wy (Llangurig) ; it is in Comeustwith (Cwmystwyth) and so rennith
good vi miles thorough Comeustwith, and a vi or vn mo' miles to Abreustwith.
Leland Itin. Tom. V. p. 87.
m If by the mountains of Eryri we are to understand the Snowdonian range of hills,
our author has not been quite accurate in fixing the source of the river Dovy, which
rises between Dinas-y-mowddu and Bala Lake, to the southward of Mount Arran :
from whence it pursues its course to Mallwyd, and Machynlleth, below which place it
becomes an aestuary, and the boundary between North and South Wales.
" Our author is again incorrect in stating that the river Maw forms, by its course,
(284 ]
tract of sands called the Traeth Mawr and the Traeth Bychan ; the
Dissennith also and the Arthro flow through Merionethshire and
the land of Conan. The Comvy,0 springing from the northern side
of the Eryri mountains, unites its waters with the sea under the
noble castle of Deganwy ; the Cloyd? rises from another side of the
same mountain, and passes by the castle of Ruthlan to the sea ; the
Doverdwy, called by the English Dee,"! draws its source from the
lake of Penmelesmere, and runs through Chester, leaving the wood
of Coleshulle, Basinwerk, and a rich vein of silver in its neighbour-
the two tracts of sands called Traeth Mawr and Traeth Bychan. This river, from
which Barmouth derives the name of Aber-maw, and to which Giraldus, in the fifth
Chapter of the second Book of his Itinerary, has given the epithet of bifurcus, runs
far to the southward of either of the Traeths. The Traeth Mawr, or large sands, are
formed by the impetuous torrents which descend from Snowdon by Beddgelert, and
pass under the Devil's Bridge at Pont aber Glaslyn, so called from the river Glaslyn ;
and the Traeth Bychan, or little sands, are formed by numerous streams which unite
themselves in the Vale of Festiniog, and become an aestuary near the village of Maen-
twrog.
* The Conwy derives its principal source from a very large lake, called Llin Conwy,
(second in size to that of Bala,) situated on a dreary and boggy moor, and abounding
in delicious trout; it pursues its course by Yspytty Evan and Bettws y coed to Llan-
rwst, forming many precipitous cataracts, and adding fresh charms to the picturesque
scenery, which nature, in the disposition of her hills ; and art, in the construction of
her bridges, have abundantly supplied in this tract of country. A little below Llanrwst
it becomes a tide river, and passing under the neglected walls of the Roman Conovium,
and the once sequestered Cistercian abbey at Maenan, flows tranquilly down to
Conwy.
p The river Clwyd rises at a very considerable distance from the place assigned to
it by Giraldus: it flows by Ruthin, and east of Denbigh, to Saint Asaph; from
whence, with the united streams of the Elwy, it continues its course to Ruthlan, where
it becomes a tide river ; giving a name to the rich and fertile Vale of Clwyd.
' The primary source of the river Dee is in the valley leading from Dolgelle to
Bala, from which places it flows through the beautiful Vale of Edeyrnion to LJangollen,
Overton, Banger, and Chester.
[ 285 ]
hood far to the south ; and by the influx of the sea forming a very
dangerous quicksand, thus the Dee makes the northern, and the
river Wye the southern boundary of Wales.
CHAPTER VI.
CONCERNING THE PLEASANTNESS AND FERTILITY OF WALES.
As the southern part of Wales near Cardiganshire, but particularly
Pembrokeshire, is pleasanter, on account of its plains and sea coast ;
so North Wales is better defended by nature, is more productive of
men distinguished for bodily strength, and more fertile in the na-
ture of its soil ; for, as the mountains of Eryri (Snowdon) could
supply pasturage for all the herds of cattle in Wales, if collected
together, so could the Isle of Mona (Anglesey) provide a requisite
quantity of corn for all the inhabitants : on which account there is
an old British proverb, " Mori mam Cymbry," that is, " Mona is the
mother of Wales." Merionyth, and the land of Conan, is the rudest
and least cultivated region. The natives of that part of Wales ex-
cel in the use of long lances, as those of Monmouthshire are distin-
guished for their management of the bow. It is to be observed,
that the British language is more delicate and richer in North
Wales, that country being less intermixed with foreigners : many
however assert that the language of Cardiganshire in South Wales,
placed as it were in the middle and heart of Cambria, is the most
refined.
[ 286 ]
The people of Cornwall and the Armoricans speak a language
similar to that of the Britons ; and from its origin and near re-
semblance, is intelligible to the Welsh in many instances, and
almost in all;* and although less delicate and methodical, yet it
approaches more to the ancient British idiom. As in the southern
parts of England, and particularly in Devonshire, the English
language seems less agreeable ; yet it bears more marks of antiquity
(the northern parts being much corrupted by the irruptions of the
Danes and Norwegians), and adheres more strictly to the original
language and ancient mode of speaking ; a positive proof of which
may be deduced from all the English works of Bede, Rabanus,b and
King Alfred, being written according to this idiom.
• The French historian Lobineau, deriving the language both of the Armorican as
well as the Insular Britons (meaning England and Wales) from the Celts, whom we
know from history sent colonies both into England and Gaul, says, " cette langue
commune aux Celtes et aux Bretons Insulaires est la meme qui se parle encore
aujourd' hui dans la Basse Bretagne, et qui fait que les Bas Bretons n'ont pas besoin
d'interprete pour entendre ceux du pais de Galles. Histoire de la Bretagne, Tom. I.
p. a.
b Rabanus, cognomento Magnentius Maurry, natione Scotus, Alcuini Angli
theologi praeclarissimi quondam auditor, discipulusque conjunctissimus, omni sub eo
in Anglia bonarum literarum genere, Eboraci atque alibi mirabiliter profecit. Vita
excessit A. D. 856, et ex abundant! ingenio, tam carmine quain soluta oratione,
monumenta quamplurima reliquit. Bale Script. Brit. Cent. XIV. p. 206.
[ 287 ]
CHAPTER VII.
ORIGIN OF CAMBRIA AND WALES.
CAMBRIA was so called from Camber son of Brutus ; for Brutus
descending from the Trojans, by his grandfather Ascanius, and
father Silvius, led the remnant of the Trojans, who had long been
detained in Greece, into this western isle; and having reigned
many years, and given his name to the country and people, at his
death divided the kingdom of Wales between his three sons.
To his eldest son Locrinus, he gave that part of the island which
lies between the rivers Humber and Severn, and which from him
was called Loegria.
To his second son Albanactus, he gave the lands beyond the
Humber, which took from him the name of Albania.
But to his youngest son Camber, he bequeathed all that region
which lies beyond the Severn, and is called after him Cambria:
hence the country is properly and truly called Cambria, and its
inhabitants, Cambrians, or Cambrenses : some assert that their
name was derived from Cam and Grteco, that is, distorted Greek,
on account of the affinity of their languages contracted by their
long residence in Greece : but this conjecture, though probable, is
not well founded on truth.
The name of Wales was not derived from Wallon a general, or
Wandolena a queen, as the fabulous history of Geoffrey Arthur
[ 288 ]
falsely maintains, because neither of these personages are to be
found amongst the Welsh ; but it arose from a barbarous appella-
tion. The Saxons when they seized upon Britain, called this nation,
as they did all foreigners, Wallons: and thus the barbarous name
remains to the people and their countiy.
Having discoursed upon the quality, and quantity of the land,
the genealogies of the princes, the sources of the rivers, and the
derivation of the names of this country, we shall now consider the
nature and character of the nation.
CHAPTER VIII.
CONCERNING THE NATURE, MANNERS, AND DRESS. THE BOLDNESS..
AGILITY, AND COURAGE OF THIS NATION.
THIS nation is light and active, hardy rather than strong, and
generally bred up to the use of arms ; for not only the nobles, but all
the people are trained to war, and when the trumpet sounds the
alarm, the husbandman rushes as eagerly from his plough as the
courtier from his court ; for here it is not found that, as in other
places,
" Agricolis labor actus in orbem,"
returns ; for in the months of March and April only the soil is
ploughed for oats, and twice in the summer, and once in winter
[ 289 ]
for wheat. Almost all the people live upon the produce of their
herds, with oats, milk, cheese, and butter; eating flesh in larger
proportions than bread : they pay no attention to commerce,
shipping, or manufactures, and suffer no interruption but by martial
exercises : they anxiously study the defence of their country and
their liberty: for these they fight, for these they undergo hardships,
and for these willingly sacrifice their lives : they esteem it a dis-
grace to die in bed, an honour to die in the field of battle, using
the poet's expression,
" Procul hinc avertite pacem
Nobilitas cum pace peril. "
Nobility perishes in time of peace ; nor is it wonderful if it
degenerates, for the ancestors of these men, the yEneadae, rushed to
arms in the cause of liberty. It is remarkable that this people
though unarmed, dares attack an armed foe ; the infantry defy the
cavalry, and by their activity and courage generally prove victors ;
they resemble in disposition and situation those conquerors whom
the poet Lucan mentions :
" Populi quos despicit Arctos,
Felices errore suo, quos ille timorum
Maximus haud urget leti metus, inde ruendi
In ferrum, mens prona viris, animaeque capaces,
Mortis et ignavum rediturae parcere vitae."
They make use of light arms, which do not impede their agility ;
small breast-plates, bundles of arrows, and long lances, helmets
and shields, and very rarely greaves plated with iron : the higher
class go to battle mounted on swift and generous steeds which their
VOL. ii. P p
[ 290 ]
country produces : but the greater part of the people fight on foot
to a disadvantage, on account of the marshy nature of the soil.
The horsemen, as their situation or occasion require, willingly
serve as infantry in attacking or retreating ; and they either walk
bare-footed, or make use of high shoes, roughly constructed with
untanned leather. In time of peace the young men by penetrating
the deep recesses of the woods, and climbing the tops of mountains,
learn by nightly practice to endure the fatigue by day ; and as they
meditate on war during peace, they acquire the art of fighting by
accustoming themselves to the use of the lance, and by inuring
themselves to hard exercise.
King Henry the Second, on answering the enquiries of Emanuel
Emperor of Constantinople, concerning the situation, nature, and
striking peculiarities of the British island, among other remarkable
circumstances mentioned the following : That in a certain part
of the island there was a people, called Welsh, so bold and so
ferocious, that when unarmed they did not fear to encounter an
armed force ; being ready to shed their blood in defence of their
country, and to sacrifice their lives for renown ; which is the more
surprising, as the beasts of the field, over the whole face of the
island became gentle, but these desperate men could not be tamed.
The wild animals, and particularly the stags and hinds, are so
abundant, owing to the little molestation they receive, that in the
northern parts of the island towards the Peak ; a when pursued by
the hounds and hunters, they contributed, by their numbers, to
their own destruction."
• A place so called in Derbyshire. This is written Peek in the Latin editions, but
on referring to the MS. in the British Museum, I found it spelt Peake.
[291 ]
CHAPTER IX.
THEIR SOBER SUPPER AND FRUGALITY.
NOT addicted to gluttony nor drunkenness, this people, who incur
no expense in food or dress, and whose minds are always bent upon
the defence of their country, and on the means of plunder, are
wholly employed in the care of their horses and furniture. Accus-
tomed to fast from morning till evening, and trusting to the care of
Providence, they dedicate the whole day to business, and in the
evening partake of a moderate meal ; and even if they have none,
or only a very scanty one, they patiently wait till the next evening ;
and neither deterred by cold nor hunger, they employ the dark and
stormy nights in watching the hostile motions of their enemies.
[ 292 ]
CHAPTER X.
THEIR HOSPITALITY AND LIBERALITY.
No one of this nation ever begs, for the houses of all are common
to all; and they consider liberality and hospitality amongst the
first virtues : so much does hospitality here rejoice in communi-
cation, that it is neither offered, nor requested by travellers, who,
on entering any house, only deliver up their arms : when water is
offered to them, if they suffer their feet to be washed, they are
received as guests ; for the offer of water to wash the feet is with
this nation an hospitable invitation. But if they refuse the proffered
service, they only wish for morning refreshment, and not lodging.
The young men move about in troops and families under the direc-
tion of a chosen leader ; attached only to arms and ease, and ever
ready to stand forth in defence of their country, they have free
admittance into every house as if it were their own.
Those who arrive in the morning are entertained till evening by
the conversation of young women, and the music of the harp ; for
each house has its young women and harps allotted to this purpose.
Two circumstances here deserve notice : that as no nation labours
more under the vice of jealousy than the Irish, so none is more free
from it than the Welsh ; and in each family the art of playing on
the harp is held preferable to any other learning. In the evening,
when no more guests are expected, the meal is prepared according
[ 293 ]
to the number and dignity of the persons assembled, and according
to the wealth of the family who entertains ; the kitchen does not
supply many dishes, nor high seasoned incitements to eating ; the
house is not adorned with tables, cloths, and napkins ; they study
nature more than splendour; for which reason they place all the
dishes together upon mats, with large platters or trenchers full
of sweet herbs ; they also make use of a thin and broad cake of
bread, baked every day, which in old writings was called Lagana ; *
and they sometimes add chopped meat with broth. Such tables
were formerly used by the noble youth, from whom this nation
boasts its descent, and whose manners it still imitates, according to
the words of the Poet :
" Heu ! mensas consumimus, inquit lulus."
While the family is engaged in waiting on the guests, the host
and hostess stand up, paying unremitting attention to every thing,
and take no food till all the company are satisfied ; that in case of
any deficiency, it may fall upon them. A bed made of rushes, and
covered with a coarse kind of cloth manufactured in the country,
called Brychan f is then placed along the side of the room, and they
1 Bread, called Lagana, was I suppose, the sort of household bread or thin cake
baked on an iron plate, called a griddle (gradell), still common in Caermarthenshire,
and called Bara Llech and Bara Llechan, or griddle bread, from being so baked.
Owen.
Laganum, a fritter or pancake, Baranyiod. Lhuyd Archaiology, p. 75.
b Brychan, in Lhuyd's Archaiology and Cornish grammar, is spelt Bryccan and
interpreted a blanket. In Bullet's Celtic dictionary I also find this word Brychan
thus explained, and corresponding with the sense in which Giraldus has used it, vizi
" Natte de jonc ou de paille, ce sur quoi Ton se couche; drap rude sur lequel couchent
les Gallois, couverture de lit," &c. &c.
[ 294 ]
all in common lie down to sleep ; nor is their dress at night different
from that by day, for at all seasons they defend themselves from the
cold only by a thin cloak and waistcoat ; the fire continues to burn
by night as well as by day, at their feet, and they receive much
comfort from the natural heat of the persons lying near them:
but when the under side begins to be tired with the hardness of the
bed, or the upper one to suffer from cold, they immediately leap
up, and go to the fire, which soon relieves them from both incon-
veniences; and then returning to their couch, expose alternately
their sides to the cold, and to the hard bed.
CHAPTER XL
CONCERNING THE CUTTING OF THEIR HAIR, THE CARE OF
THEIR TEETH, AND SHAVING OF THEIR BEARD.
THE men and women cut their hair close round to the ears and
eyes. The women, after the manner of the Parthians, cover their
heads with a large white veil, folded together in the form of a
crown.
Both sexes exceed any other nation in attention to their teeth,
which they render like ivory, by constantly rubbing them with
green hazle and a woollen cloth : for their better preservation, they
abstain from hot meats, and eat only such as are cold, warm, or
temperate. The men shave all their beard except the whiskers.
This custom is not recent, but was observed in ancient and remote
ages, as we find in the works of Julius Caesar, who says,1 " The
Britons shave every part of their body except their head and upper
lip ;" and to render themselves more active, and avoid the fate of
Absalon in their excursions through the woods, they are accustomed
to cut even the hair from their heads : so that this nation more than
any other shaves off all pilosity. He also adds, that the Britons,
previous to an engagement, anointed their faces with a nitrous oint-
ment, which gave them so ghastly and shining an appearance, that
the enemy could scarcely bear to look at them, particularly if the
rays of the sun were reflected on them.
1 " Oinnes ver6 se Britanni vitro inficiunt, quod cseruleum efficit colorem, atque
hoc horridiore sunt in pugna adspectu ; capilloque sunt promissc, atque omni parte
corporis rasa, praeter caput et labrum superius." Caesar de Bello Gallico, cap. 13, 14.
[ 296 ]
CHAPTER XII.
THEIR QUICKNESS AND SHARPNESS OF UNDERSTANDING.
THESE people being of a sharp and acute intellect, and gifted with
a rich and powerful understanding, excel in whatever studies they
pursue, and are more quick and cunning than the other inhabitants
of a western climate.
Their musical instruments charm and delight the ear with
their sweetness, are borne along by such celerity and delicacy of
modulation, producing such a consonance from the rapidity of
seemingly discordant touches, that I shall briefly repeat what is set
forth in our Irish Topography on the subject of the musical instru-
ments of the three nations. It is astonishing that in so complex
and rapid a movement of the fingers, the musical proportions can
be preserved, and that throughout the difficult modulations on
their various instruments, the harmony is completed with such
a sweet velocity, so unequal an equality, so discordant a concord,
as if the chords sounded together fourths or fifths. They always
begin from B flat, and return to the same, that the whole may be
completed under the sweetness of a pleasing sound. They enter
into a movement, and conclude it in so delicate a manner, and play
the little notes so sportively under the blunter. sounds of the base
strings, enlivening with wanton levity, or communicating a deeper
[297 ]
internal sensation of pleasure, so that the perfection of their art
appears in the concealment of it :
" Si lateat, prosit :
ferat ars deprensa pudorem."
" Art profits when concealed,
Disgraces when revealed."
From this cause, those very strains which afford deep and unspeak-
able mental delight to those who have skilfully penetrated into the
mysteries of the art, fatigue rather than gratify the ears of others,
who seeing, do not perceive, and hearing, do not understand ; and
by whom the finest music is esteemed no better than a confused
and disorderly noise, and will be heard with unwillingness and
disgust.1
They make use of three instruments, the harp, the pipe, and the
crwth, or crowd.1
1 I have adopted Mr. Jones's translation of this passage, the Latin text of which, to
one not skilled in music, appears very unintelligible.
1 This instrument is generally supposed to have been the origin of the violin, which
was not commonly known in England till the reign of Charles the First. Before this
time the crwth was not probably confined to the Principality, from the name of
Crowdero in Hudibras ; as also from a fiddler being still called a crowder in some parts
of England, though he now plays on a violin instead of a crwth. With the above ac-
count, (printed in the Archaiology, Vol. III. from a paper of Mr. Daines Barrington,)
there is a drawing of this musical instrument; and an assertion, that at the time this
account was transmitted to the Society, A. D, 1770, the instrument was on the point
of being entirely lost, as there was but one person in the whole principality who could
play upon it. A very minute description of the crwth, by Gruffydd ab David ab Howel,
and many other particulars respecting it, have been collected by Mr. Jones, in his Dis-
sertation on the Musical Instruments of the Welsh, page 114, edition 1794.
VOL. ii.
[ 298 ]
They omit no part of natural rhetoric in the management of civil
actions, in quickness of invention, disposition, refutation, and con-
firmation. In their rhymed songs and set speeches they are so
subtile and ingenious, that they produce, in their native tongue,
ornaments of wonderful and exquisite invention both in the words
and sentences;3 hence arise those poets whom they call Bards, of
whom you will find many in this nation, endowed with the above
faculty, according to the poet's observation :
" Plurima concreti fuderunt carmina Bardi."
But they make use of alliteration in preference to all other orna-
ments of rhetoric, and that particular kind which joins by conso-
nancy the first letters or syllables of words. So much do the
English and Welsh nations employ this ornament of words in all
exquisite composition, that no sentence is esteemed to be elegantly
spoken, no oration to be otherwise than uncouth and unrefined,
unless it is polished by the file of this rule. Thus in the British
tongue :
" Digawn Duw da i unig.
Wrth bob crybwyll rhaid pwyll parawdd."4
3 This passage having occasioned some doubt amongst the learned, respecting the
use of rhyme, in bardic times, I have adopted the translation of Mr. Turner, who in
his learned Vindication of the ancient British Poems, page 261, treats on this subject,
and remarks, " that the words of Gi raid us ' Cantilenis rythmicis,' in the twelfth cen-
tury, undoubtedly meant rimed songs. To omit the word rythmicis entirely in the
translation, and to substitute for it the word verses, and to produce the passage thus
wrongly translated as an authority that Giraldus does not even mention the use of
rhyme amongst his countrymen, would be both unjust and improper. The words can-
tilenis rythmicis in a MS. of the Cotton library have not, as in the printed copy of
Giraldus, a comma between them.
* These Welsh lines quoted by Giraldus are selected from two different stanzas
[ 299 ]
And in English, " God is together gammen and wisedome." The
same ornament of speech is also frequent in the Latin language.
Virgil says,
" Tales casus Cassandra canebat."
And again, in his address to Augustus,
" Dum dubitet natura marem, faceretve puellam,
Natus es, o pulcher, pene puella, puer."
This ornament occurs not in any language we know so frequently
of moral verses, called Eglynion y Clywed, the composition of some anonymous bard ;
or probably the work of several :
" A glyweisti a gant Dywyneg,
Milwr doeth detholedig:
Digawn Duw da i unig ?
" Hast thou heard what was sung by Dywynic ?
A wise and chosen warrior :
God will effect solace to the orphan.
" A glyweisti a gant Anarawd ?
Milwr doniawg did lawd
Rhaid wrth anmhwyll pwyll parawd.
" Hast thou heard what was sung by Anarawd ?
A warrior endowed with many gifts ?
With want of sense ready wit is necessary."
Or, as Giraldus quotes it,
" Wrth bob crybwll rhaid pwyll parawd."
" With every hint ready wit is necessary."
Myvyrian Archaiology, page 172.
[ 300 ]
as in the two first : it is surprising that the French, in other respects
so ornamented, should be entirely ignorant of this verbal elegance
so much adopted in other languages. Nor can I believe that the
English and Welsh, so different and adverse to each other, could
designedly have agreed in the usage of this figure ; but I should
rather suppose that it had grown habitual to both by long custom,
as it pleases the ear by a transition from similar to similar sounds.
Cicero, in his book " On Elocution," observes of such who know
the practice, not the art, " Other persons when they read good ora-
tions or poems, approve of the orators or poets, not understanding
the reason why, being affected, they approve ; because they cannot
know in what place, of what nature, nor how that effect is caused
which so highly delights them."
ANNOTATIONS ON CHAPTER XII.
TH E Bards or reciters of songs made so very conspicuous a figure
in the history of this country, that some account of their institution
and proceedings will not, I hope, be deemed uninteresting; for
we must not consider their songs as mere poetical compositions,
but as the primary sources of much historical and authentic
information. Neither were they compiled hastily from fabulous
records and vague traditions; but were composed after recent
[ 301 ]
exploits, and immediately copied and dispersed amongst those who
had either been actors or eye-witnesses to the deeds they comme-
morated.3
The Bardi were held in high estimation in Germany, and par-
ticularly amongst the nation of the Belgae. " Sunt illis haec quoque
carmina, quorum relatu, quern Barditum vocant, accendunt ani-
mos, futuraeque pugnae fortunam ipso cantu augurantur."b Apud
omnes tres passim nationes eximio in honore sunt Bardi, Vates,
Druidae. Bardi quidem laudationibus rebusque poeticis student." c
By their songs they animated the troops to battle, and recorded
the names and heroic deeds of those who fell in the field of glory.
The poet Lucan thus addresses them :
" Vos quoque qui fortes animas belloque peremtas,
Laudibus in longum vates dimittis in aevum,
Plurima securi fudistis carmina Bardi. d
» Jones's Welsh Bards, p. 26.
b Tacitus de Germania, Tom. IV. p. 9-
c Slrabo, p. 133. This note is valuable because it describes the three sorts of Bards
in an order deserving our consideration, viz. Bardd, Ovydd, and Derwycld, or the
Bard proper, the Ovydd or scientific Bard, and the Derwydd, or Priest Bard ; our
arrangement in the institutes is, Bardd, Derwydd, and Ovydd ; thus placing the scien-
tific Bard the last. A little before the time of Cadwalader there was a schism amongst
the Bards, owing to innovations, which crept in with the Christian religion ; and those
who favoured such innovations were called Beirdd Beli, or Bards of Beli. Beli was
the grandson of Maelgwn Gwynedd King of Britain, who probably encouraged this
new sect in the Order. But history is not very clear on this point ; and therefore it
has been supposed that Beirdd Beli ought to be interpreted Bards of warfare; for
Beli, in a literal sense, means warfare ; and no Bards ever interfered in war, or
bore arms, except those who countenanced this new system.
'' Lucani Pharsalia, lib. i.
[ 302 ]
" You too, ye Bards, whom sacred rapture fire,
To chaunt your heroes to your country's lyre,
Who consecrate in your immortal strain,
Brave patriot souls in righteous battle slain ;
Securely now the tuneful task renew,
And noblest themes in deathless songs pursue."
The earliest mention I can find made of the Bards in Wales, is
in the reign of the British King Cadwalader, who died at Rome
A. D. 688 ; and of whom the following anecdote is recorded.'
This king presided at an Eisteddvod/ or meeting assembled for the
purpose of regulating the Bardic institution; when a minstrel
appeared, and played upon his harp before this illustrious assembly
in so displeasing and unharmonious a key, that he was ordered,
under severe penalties, whenever he again performed before per-
sons skilled in the art, to adopt that of Mwynen Gwynedd, or the
pleasing melody of North Wales.
During the reign of the great Welsh legislator Howel Dha,
A. D. 940, we find that the Bards were held in high estimation,
and enjoyed great and peculiar privileges. Y Bardd Teulu, or the
Musicus Aulicus, (corresponding with our Poet Laureat) received
on his appointment, from the king, a harp, and a gold ring from
the queen ; which harp he was to part with on no consideration
whatever.*
€ This anecdote is related in Dr. John David Rhys's Grammar, and inserted by
Jones in his History of the Welsh Bards, p. 26.
f The Eisteddvod was a triennial assembly of the Bards, usually held at the three
royal seats of the Welsh princes, viz. Aberfraw, Dinevwr, and Mathraval.
E Citharam a Rege et annuluin aureum a Regina accipiet, quando munus
[ 303 ]
He held his land free, and at the three great festivals of Christ-
mas, Easter, and Whitsuntide, he sat at the prince's table. If the
bard desired any favour of the king, he was obliged to play one
of his own compositions ; if of a nobleman, three ; and if of a ple-
beian, he was under the obligation of playing till he went to bed,
or was tired with his music. h His person was held so sacred,
that whoever slightly injured the Bard, was fined vi cows, and
cxx pence; and the murderer of a Bard was fined cxxvi cows.
He preceded the army, when prepared for battle, reciting an ancient
song called Unbenaeth Prydain, or the Monarchal song of Britain,
and for this service received his share of the enemy's spoils.'
About the year 1070, Bleddyn ab Gynvyn Prince of Powys (the
author of another code of Welsh laws) established some regula-
tions respecting the Bards, revising and enforcing those which
were already made.
After the death of Trahaearn ab Caradoc in 1079, GrufFydd ab
Cynank succeeded to the principality of North Wales. During his
suum illi traditur. Hanc Citharam nee pretio nee gratuito quaindiu vixerit ulli
dabit.
h Si Musicus aulicus aliquid a Rege petiverit, canat unum canticum : si a viro
nobili, canat tria cantica: si petiverit aliquid a plebeio, canat usquedum cubituin
iverit, vel ad lassitudinem.
1 Et si acies sit instructa ad praelium, praecinat illis canticum vocatum Monarchia
Britannica.
Musicus aulicus de omni praedli quam domestic! regii demum ducent, juvencum
habebit, et prater cum accipiet partem unam aeque ac quilibet alius e domesticis. Et
in die prselii coram illis Monarchiam Britannic-urn decantabit. Leges Wallicae,
p. 37-
In this instance we see the conformity with the customs that prevailed amongst
the Germans, as before cited.
k I believe that the regulation made by Gruffydd ab Cynan related to the musicians
[304 ]
long and glorious reign of fifty-six years, he reformed the disor-
dered behaviour of the Welsh minstrells, by a very good statute,
which is extant to this day. The annotator on the Welsh Chro-
nicle records the following particulars respecting the Bards. Powel,
p. 191.
There are three sorts of minstrels in Wales.
The first sort named Beirdh, which are makers of song, and
odes of sundrie measures, wherein not onelie great skill and
cunning is required, but also a certeine naturall inclination and
gift, which in Latine is termed Furor poeticus. These do also
keepe records of gentlemens armes and petegrees, and are best
esteemed and accounted of among them.
The second sort of them are plaiers upon instruments, chiefelie
the harpe and the crowth, whose musike for the most part came
to Wales with the said Gruffyth ap Conan, who being on the one
side an Irishman by his mother, and grandmother, and also borne
in Ireland, brought over with him out of that countrie divers
cunning musicians into Wales, who derived in a manner all the
instrumental 1 musike that is now there used, as appeereth as well
by the bookes written of the same, as also by the names of the
tunes and measures used amongst them to this daie.
The third sort called Arcaneaid1 are those which do sing to the
instrument plaied by another, and these be in use in the countrie
of Wales to this daie.
alone: and in this respect the science, as it was known in Wales and Ireland, was
revived from the united knowledge and talents of both nations.
1 Probably this is a corruption of the Welsh word Archeinaid or accentors : but the
common term for this class is Datceiniaid, which literally implies Reciters ,• and
probably the author meant this appellation.
[ 305 ]
This statute or decree before mentioned doth not onelie pres-
cribe and appoint what reward everie of the said minstrels ought
to have, and at whose hands ; but also of what honest behaviour
and conversation they ought to be, to wit, no make-bates, no
vagabonds, no ale-house hunters, no drunkards, no brallers, no
whore-hunters, no theeves, nor companions of such. In which
things if they offend, everie man by the said statute is made an
officer, and authorized to arrest and punish them, yea and take
from them all that they have about them. They are also in the
same statute forbidden to enter into anie mans house, or to make
anie song of anie man without speciall licence of the partie him-
selfe. And this statute or decree hath beene oftentimes allowed by
publike authoritie of the cheefe magistrals of that countrie, as
appeareth by sundrie commissions directed to divers gentlemen in
that behalfe.
The character of King Edward the First has been blackened by
the imputation of the greatest cruelty towards the Bards; for after
the final subjugation of Wales, he is said to have issued an edict
for their extermination, on the false plea of exciting their country-
men to sedition, by the recital of the heroic deeds performed by
their ancestors. This idea has been generally adopted both by
poets"1 and historians; but perhaps without good foundation."
m See Mr. Gray's fine ode entitled the Bard.
" These assertions respecting the cruelty of King Edward towards the Welsh bards
have not any good foundation, which I shall prove by the following fact: "That
from the time of Edward to the end of the reign of Elizabeth, the productions of the
bards were so numerous, that Mr. Owen Jones, in forming a collection for that period,
VOL. ii. R r
[ 306 ]
The historian Carte says " that the only set of men who had
reason to complain of Edward's severity, were the Bards, who used
to put those remains of the ancient Britons in mind of the valiant
deeds of their ancestors. He ordered (hem all to be hanged, as
inciters of the people to sedition. Politics in this point got the
better of the king's natural lenity, and those who were afterwards
entrusted with the government of the country, following his
example ; the profession, becoming dangerous, gradually declined,
and in a little time, that sort of men was utterly destroyed."
Sir John Wynne in his history of theGwedir family, following the
same opinion, says, " Edward the First, who caused our Bards all
to be hanged by martial law, as stirrers of the people to sedition,
whose example being followed by the governors of Wales, until
Henry the Fourth his time, was the utter destruction of that sort
of men. Sithence this kind of people were at some further libertie
to sing and keep pedegrees as in ancient time they were wont ;
since which we have some light of antiquitie by their songes and
writinges. From the reigne of Edward the First to Henry IV. there
is therefore noe certainty, or very little, of things done ; other than
what is to be found in the Prince's records, which now, by tossinge
has already transcribed between fifty and sixty volumes in quarto; and the work is
not yet completed.
" The edict of Edward seems to have been issued only to overawe the bards; for
it does not appear to have been ever put into execution, otherwise those who lived at
the time, and in the following ages, would have noticed such an instance in some way
or other. The fact, however, of the bards assuming fictitious names, under which they
issued their literary productions, shews that they were under some apprehension ; and
which might probably have been produced by the said edict or proclamation."
W. Owen.
[307 ]
the same from the Exchequer at Caernarvon to the Tower, and to
the offices in the Exchequer at London, as alsoe by ill keeping and
ordering of late dayes, are become a chaos of confusion with a
total neglect of method and order as would be needful for him who
would be ascertained of the truth of things done from time to
j • »
time.
Mr. Pennant, in his Tour through North Wales, informs us, that
in 15th Henry VIII. an Eisteddfod was held at Caerwys, Flintshire,
in which the ancient laws respecting the Bards were confirmed.
And he further adds, that A. D. 1568, in the reign of Queen Eliza-
beth, a royal commission was issued for holding an Eisteddfod at the
same place ; on which occasion several Bards received their degrees.
This commission is the last of the kind which has been granted, and
is still in the possession of the Mostyn family, together with the
silver harp, which, from time immemorial, had been in their gift
to bestow on the chief of the faculty. This badge of honour is
about five or six inches long, and furnished with strings equal to
the number of the Muses. See Pennant, Vol. I. p. 463 ; where a
copy of the commission, and an engraving of the harp are given.
Such is the information which I have been able to collect from
written authorities respecting this celebrated Order of men in Wales.
The following notes, drawn up by Mr. William Owen at my request,
will enable me to enter more fully, and, I trust, satisfactorily, into
this subject.
BARDS. — What we find to have been most prominent in the
religion, laws, and manners of the patriarchal ages, and in that
part of the world which has been generally deemed the cradle of
[ 308 ]
the human race ; namely, the western regions of Asia, prevailed
likewise among the distant colonies of Britain.
Were we inconsiderately to pronounce the early inhabitants of
this island to have been in a savage state, according to the common
acceptation of the term, it would be contrary to the tenor of a
muliitude of historical facts. But this is the character generally
drawn of the Druids, and of the religion they practised among the
Cymry. Such a picture is so contrary to the evidence we are
enabled to collect from the monuments which they have left be-
hind them, and even to the few notices taken of them by the
Greek and Roman writers, that I think it useless to enter into a
detail of things so much misrepresented. The common observation
that the whole people were overawed by the terror of priestcraft,
is foolish ; for every nation is governed by the influence of its reli-
gion: and we have no evidence of any particular abuse of this
power amongst the ancient Britons.
In considering their state of religion and society, the first object
that arrests the attention is the system of the Bards ; the principles
of which are clearly identified among the first patriarchs of man-
kind, and were extended to the farthest regions of India, in common
with the western borders of Europe ; and the agreement of systems
in these two extreme regions is astonishing, as might be illustrated
by numerous facts ; such as the exact identity of character of the
Indian Menw, and the Menw of the British Triads and romantic
tales.
One of the most striking peculiarities of the bardic system was
the invention of an oral record; more certain than the art of
writing itself, especially as it existed in its infancy, or perhaps at
[ 309 ]
any other period before the discovery of printing. For the Bards
required that every branch of knowledge embraced by them should
be committed to memory ; and this their disciples were obliged to
do before they could be fully initiated into the Order ; and with a
view of rendering them perfect therein, nothing that appertained
to the institution, was allowed to be committed to writing. What
they thus taught was reduced into a peculiar kind of aphorisms,
called Triades, from their comprehending three different articles
classed together according to the characteristic analogy subsisting
between them; and these Triades embraced the leading points of
theology, morality, science, and history.0
0 Institutional Triades. The three primary privileges of the Bards of the island of
Britain are, maintenance wherever they go ; that no naked weapon be borne in their
presence; and their testimony preferred to that of all others.
2. The three ultimate intentions of Bardism : to reform morals and customs; to
secure peace ; and to celebrate the praises of all that is good and excellent.
3. Three things are forbidden to a Bard ; immorality, to satirize, and to bear arms.
4. The three joys of the Bards of the island of Britain: the increase of knowledge;
the reformation of manners; and the triumphs of peace over the lawless and depre-
datory.
5. Without three qualifications no one can be a Bard: a poetical genius; the
knowlege of the Bardic institutes; and irreproachable morals.
6. I'here are three avoidant injunctions on the Bard : to avoid sloth, as being the
man of diligence and exertion ; to avoid contention, as being the man of peace ; and
to avoid folly, as being the man of reason.
Theological Triades — 1. There are three primeval unities, and more than one of
each cannot exist : one God ; one truth ; and one point of liberty where all opposites
equiponderate.
2. Three things proceed from the three primeval unities: all of life; all that is
good ; and all power.
3. God consists necessarily of three things : the greatest of life ; the greatest of
knowledge ; and the greatest of power ; and of what is the greatest there can be no
more than one of any thing.
t 310 ]
Solemn meetings were held at certain seasons of the year, such
as at the new and full moon, but more particularly at the solstices
and equinoxes the four principal meetings of the year took place,
for the promulgation of the maxims of the Bardic religion, and for
other purposes. But there were other superior triennial meetings,
which were great national assemblies, wherein were ratified such
things as were proposed for their oral record.
These conventions of every description took place within circles
of unhewn stones, in the most public and convenient situations,
such as in the open plains in the county of Wilts, whereon the
principal stone circle of the whole island was raised, and of which
Avebury and Sillbury-hill present, at this day, to our observation
some of its vast and wonderful remains.
The institution consisted of three Orders : the Bards proper, the
Druids, and the Ovates ; and to each of these were attached peculiar
pursuits and functions.
The Order called the Bardic was the predominant class, or that
Ethical Triades — 1. The three primary principles of wisdom: wisdom to the laws
of God ; concern for the welfare of mankind ; and suffering with fortitude all the
accidents of life.
£. There are three ways of searching the heart of man : in the thing he is not aware
of; in the manner he is not aware of; and at the time he is not aware of.
3. There are three men that all ought to look upon with affection: he, that with
affection looks at the face of the earth ; that is delighted with rational works of art ;
and that looks lovingly on little infants.
Poetic Triades — 1. The three primary requisites of poetical genius: an eye that
can see nature ; a heart that can feel nature ; and a resolution that dares follow nature.
2. The three final intentions of poetry : accumulation of goodness ; enlargement of
the understanding ; and what increases delight.
3. The three properties of just imagination: what is possible; what ought to be;
and what is decorous.
[311 ]
into which all the disciples were initiated in the first instance; it was,
in short, the privileged national college of the Britons, for on being
admitted into it, the members assumed one or the other of the three
classes, as their inclination or interest directed them. To this
primary Order appertained the perpetuation of the privileges and
customs of the system, and also of the civil and moral institutes
and learning. If a Bard assumed the character of a Druid, he had
to perform the functions of the priesthood; and as there was a
priest or Druid in every community, and the greatest influence
was attached to him, this was the class into which the greatest
number of the Bards were necessarily entered. Therefore, owing to
the power belonging to this character, the Bards appeared more
conspicuous to strangers in the Druidical character, than when they
officiated in the others; so that the accounts we find in ancient
writers, who describe them, are often contradictory, but generally
the names of the other Orders are lost in that of the Druids.
The Ovales were such of the Bards as cultivated particular arts
or sciences: therefore it was the Order to which belonged artists
and mechanics of every description. And this was the only cha-
racter in which the Bards were permitted to hold private meetings ;
in performing the functions of the other classes, they were obliged
to assemble, as they expressed it, in the eye of light, and in the
face of the sun. I have not the least doubt, from the information
I have obtained, but that this class of craftsmen was the origin of
Free Masonry ; for in times of persecution, the Bards found it too
dangerous to hold public meetings: they therefore assumed the
ovate character, which permitted them to meet under cover ; and
indeed many of the very terms, arrangements, and principles of
[ 312 ]
Masonry are to be found in Bardism. So that Masonry is Bardism
in disguise ; being so involved in technical terms that it requires
great application in those who are initiated, to see through the
mysterious covering. The Bards too have a secret like the Masons,
by which they can know one another. The three letters O. I. W, are
with them the unutterable name of the Deity : they therefore make
use of another term known only to themselves, just as the Jews,
who always make use of Adonai when the name of Jehovah occurs.
Each of the letters in the Bardic name is also a name of itself: the
first is the word when uttered, that the world burst into existence ;
the second is the word, the sound of which continues, by which all
things remain in existence; and the third is that by which the
consummation of all things will be in happiness, or the state of re-
novated intellect, for ever approaching to the immediate presence
of the Deity.
Each of these three Orders wore an appropriate dress. That of
the primary Order, or the Bards in general, was of sky-blue, emble-
matic of light, or truth, and of peace. White, as a mark of purity
and holiness, ^vas appropriated to the Druids. The Ovates wore
green, thus denominating that the earth was the object of their
pursuits.
The fundamental object and principle of the Bardic system were,
the search after truth, and a right adherence to justice and peace.
They never bore arms, nor engaged in any party disputes; so that
eventually they became totally exempted from all political connec-
tions ; and they were therefore employed as heralds in war between
different powers. So sacred were their persons considered, in the
office of mediators, that they passed unmolested through hostile
[ 313 ]
countries, and even appeared in the midst of battle, to arrest the
arm of slaughter, while they executed their missions. But this
state of disinterested virtue was at length the means of procuring
to the Order the supreme influence in the nation, by the perversion
of its original principles ; as we find to have been the case amongst
the Gauls, where the office of Archdruid was established and made
permanent, in direct violation of those principles ; and this high-
priest had acquired so great an ascendancy as to struggle success-
fully against the Roman power for nearly five hundred years.
Their idea with respect to the moral government of the world
was, that life was gradually increasing in perfection ; that therefore
truth and justice were advancing therewith ; so that the Bards
looked for a period when those attributes should predominate over
the principles of evil and devastation: that when that period
arrived, man would begin to make rapid approaches towards that
perfection which his state was capable of undergoing ; and then,
on the consummation of such an event, the design of this terrestrial
world was answered, and it would be changed into another state
by fire.
The theology of the Bards was shortly this : they believed in the
existence of one Supreme Being, of whom they reasoned, that he
could not be material, and that, what was not matter, must be God.
The soul was considered to be a lapsed intelligence; and the pu-
nishment it was susceptible of, was a total privation of knowledge ;
and the possession of that knowledge was deemed essentially to
imply happiness. To effect this punishment, and destruction of
evil, the soul was cast into Anoon, the extremity of which was the
lowest point of existence ; and to regain its former state, it must pass
VOL. n. S s
[314]
through all the intermediate modes of existence. For such a
purpose, they say, God created this as well as other innumerable
worlds ; that is, for the progression of intelligences through all
modes of being, approximating eternally towards himself. Further,
that this earth was originally covered with water, which, gradually
subsiding, land animals appeared, but of the lowest and least
perfect species ; and thus corresponding in organization with the
then capacity of the soul. New orders in the scale of being were
successively produced from these, whose frames and intellects im-
proved through many ages: thus also augmenting the store of
knowledge, or happiness ; so that ultimately man appeared the
most perfect receptacle of the soul on this earth. For this was a
state wherein the soul had so augmented its faculties or know-
ledge, as to be capable of judging between good and evil ; conse-
quently it was a state of liberty and of choice. If the soul became
attached to evil, it fell again to brutal life, or state of necessity,
to a point corresponding with its turpitude of human existence;
and it again transmigrated towards the state of man, for a re-
newed probation. When the soul became attached to good ; death
was its release from the human to a higher sphere of existence,
where the loss of memory was done away ; so that it then recol-
lected the ceconorny of every inferior mode of existence; thus
being made happy in the knowledge of all animated nature below
its then condition, it became elevated higher and higher in the
scale of intelligence to eternity, and consequently increased in
knowledge and happiness.
Such was the original system of the Bards ; but like all other
systems of theology, it was corrupted and abused : the rank weeds
[ 315 ]
of superstition were sown for the sake of power, and they grew
luxuriantly in a field originally cultivated to yield more whole-
some fruit.
.Amongst the first aberrations, may be traced that of the know-
ledge of the great Huon, or the Supreme Being, which was obscured
in the hieroglyphics or emblems of his different attributes, so that
the grovelling minds of the multitude often sought not beyond
those representations, for the objects of worship and adoration.
This opened an inlet for numerous errors more minute ; and many
superstitions became attached to their periodical solemnities, and
more particularly to their rejoicing fires, on the appearance of
vegetation in spring, and on the completion of harvest in autumn.
Others of less note grew into importance, from the peculiarity of
some ceremonies ; such as cutting the misletoe with a golden
hook by the presiding Druid ; the gathering of the cowslip, and
other plants consecrated to the power of healing. The autumnal
fire is still kindled in North Wales, being on the eve of the first
day of November, and is attended by many ceremonies ; such as
running through the fire and smoke, each casting a stone into the
fire, and all running off at the conclusion to escape from the black
short-tailed sow ; then supping upon parsnips, nuts, and apples ;
catching up an apple suspended by a string with the mouth alone,
and the same by an apple in a tub of water : each throwing a nut
into the fire ; and those that burn bright, betoken prosperity to the
owners through the following year, but those that burn black and
crackle, denote misfortune. On the following morning the stones
are searched for in the fire, and if any be missing, they betide ill
to those who threw them in.
[316 ]
The authority assumed by the Bards of excommunication during
the purity of the system, was an useful corrective in their disci-
pline : but when the civil government became in a degree coalesced
with the Order, the sentence pronounced in the circle was clothed
in all the terrors that surround an outlaw in modern times. Then
too, their doctrine of expiation by sacrifice extended to more
awful victims, for all the criminals, (among whom captives taken
in war were often considered the most guilty,) were collected
together at the great yearly assemblies ; and there, in attoning for
their offences, presented a spectacle to the whole nation at once
impressive and tremendous.
In tracing the origin of the Bardic system, we are led back to
very remote antiquity. The first who made verse the vehicle of
instruction and of record, according to the Triads, was Tydain Tad
Awen, or Tydain father of the Muse, between whom arid Taaut,
Thoth, or Hermes of the ^Egyptians, there is a striking conformity
as well in the names as in their attributes. From this original
were derived the privileges and peculiar customs, which were
arranged and methodized by the three primaeval Bards, Plennydd,
Alon, and Gwron, and then sanctioned and adopted as a part of
the constitution of the nation, and which before only received
through courtesy what afterwards was insured by law. The Triads
differ as to the period when this took place, whether in the time of
Prydain son of Aedd the Great, or of Dyvnwal Moelmud his son.
The exact aera of all these personages is lost in antiquity ; but it is
curious to observe that the Alon here mentioned, seems to be the
same with Olen the Hyperborean, Ailinus or Linus in the Graecian
mythology. It may be pertinent here to notice another Triad,
[317 ]
wherein it is said, that Gwyddon Ganhebon was the first who com-
posed verse ; that Hu the Mighty was the first who made the ve-
hicle of record and instruction ; and that Tydain Tad Awen was
the first who reduced it to an art, and fixed rules of composition ;
and hence originated Bards and Bardism, and the regulation of the
system in all its privileges, by the three primaeval Bards, Plenydd,
Alon and Gwron. The Gwyddon Ganhebon above mentioned, seems
according to another Triad, to have achieved a work that is to be
identified with the pillars of Hermes in Egypt ; for this Triad men-
tions three great exploits, one of them being " The stones of Gwyddon
Ganhebon, upon which were to be read all the arts and sciences in
the world."
It does not appear that the Bards had any mythological fables.
They had Triads, and other kinds of aphorisms, containing their
political, moral, religious, and other maxims and branches of
knowledge, which it was necessary that every disciple should
learn by heart, before he could gain admission into the Order.
Of these things as many are still preserved as would take up a long
time for a person of common capacity to acquire.
Whatever superstitions might have originally belonged to the sys-
tem, must in a great measure, or perhaps totally have been expunged
by the introduction of Christianity. In other respects, I believe
that the system is still preserved as to the general principles within
a small district of Glamorganshire; whilst it has become nearly
unknown in every other part of Wales for several ages. This
appears more particularly from a celebrated Eisteddvod or congress
held at Carmarthen, about the year 1450, against which the synod
of the Bards of Glamorgan protested, as being totally subversive of
[ 318 ]
the ancient institutions as preserved by them. This congress at
Carmarthen and those subsequently held in North Wales, were
scarcely any thing more than the simple meetings of poets and
minstrels under a few common and indispensable regulations for
the sake of good order ; and therefore not worthy of particular
notice.
The chair of Glamorgan being the only one that preserved the
ancient Bardic institutes ; it is of consequence to bring it more
particularly to the notice of the public : for without it, we should
have probably nothing left of Bardism or Druidism except in scat-
tered ruins, of which nothing satisfactorily could now be made out.
This provincial Chair or Gorsedd has regularly preserved the
ancient discipline, and has occasionally held public meetings to
give effect to the functions of the Bards belonging to it. Some of
these meetings were expressly convened at the desire of the Lords
Marchers and other powerful families, who were desirous of learn-
ing something of this extraordinary system, which was so formed,
as to have within itself the means of self-preservation under all
the great changes of the nation. And to satisfy the wishes of
those noble personages, several of the most intelligent Bards of the
times were appointed to collect together and digest every particular
relating to the Order. Of the congresses convoked by such autho-
rities, the first was under the patronage of Sir Richard Neville ;
a subsequent one was held under the auspices of William Herbert
Earl of Pembroke, at Cardiff castle in 1570 ; another in 1580, under
the direction of Sir Edward Lewis, of the Van ; and the last for
such special purpose was held at Bewpyr castle in 1681, under the
authority of Sir Richard Basset.
[ 319 ]
The result of these meetings was entered into books, which were
revised in the last mentioned congress, and of which manuscript
copies are still extant ; and the original register of the last meeting
is in the possession of Mr Turberville of Llan Haran in Glamor-
ganshire.
CHAPTER XIII.
THEIR SYMPHONIES AND SONGS.
IN their musical concerts they do not sing in unison like the inha-
bitants of other countries, but in many different parts ; so that in a
company of singers, which one very frequently meets with in
Wales, you will hear as many different parts and voices as there
are performers, who all at length unite, with organic melody, in
one consonance, and the soft sweetness of B flat. In the northern
district of Britain, beyond the Humber, and on the borders of
Yorkshire, the inhabitants make use of the same kind of sym-
phonious harmony, but with less variety; singing only in two
parts, one murmuring in the base, the other warbling in the acute
or treble. Neither of the two nations has acquired this pecu-
liarity by art, but by long habit, which has rendered it natural and
familiar; and the practice is now so firmly rooted in them, that it
[ 322 ]
the accessary into the principal, The same person on seeing the
half-length portrait of his brother Quintus Cicero, drawn with
very large features and an immense shield, exclaimed, " Half of
my brother is greater than the whole !" When the sister of Faustus
had an intrigue with a fuller ; " Is it strange," says he, " that my
sister has a spot, when she is connected with a fuller?" When
Antiochus shewed Hannibal his army, and the great warlike
preparations he had made against the Romans, and asked him,
" Thinkest thou, O Hannibal, that these are sufficient for the
Romans ?" Hannibal, ridiculing the unmilitary appearance of the
soldiers, wittily and severely replied, " I certainly think them suffi-
cient for the Romans, however greedy;" Antiochus asking his
opinion about the military preparations, and Hannibal alluding to
them as becoming a prey to the Romans.
[ 323 ]
CHAPTER XV.
THEIR BOLDNESS AND CONFIDENCE IN SPEAKING.
NATURE hath given not only to the highest, but also to the inferior
classes of the people of this nation, a boldness and confidence in
speaking and answering, even in the presence of their princes and
chieftains. The Romans and Franks had the same faculty, but
neither the English, nor the Saxons and Germans, from whom they
are descended, had it. It is in vain urged, that this defect may arise
from the state of servitude which the English endured ; for the
Saxons and Germans, who enjoy their liberty, have the same failing,
and derive this natural coldness of disposition from the frozen re-
gion they inhabit ; the English also, although placed in a distant
climate, still retain the exterior fairness of complexion and inward
coldness of disposition, as inseparable from their original and na-
tural character. The Britons, on the contrary, transplanted from the
hot and parched regions of Dardania into these more temperate
districts, as
" Coelum non animum mutant qui trans mare currunt;"
still retain their brown complexion and that natural warmth of
temper from which their confidence is derived ; for three nations,
remnants of the Greeks after the destruction of Troy, fled from Asia
into different parts of Europe : the Romans under ^Eneas, the Franks
under Antenor, and the Britons under Brutus; and from thence
[324 ]
arose that courage, that nobleness of mind, that ancient dignity,
that acuteness of understanding, and confidence of speech, for which
these three nations are so highly distinguished. But the Britons,
from having been detained longer in Greece than the other two na-
tions, after the destruction of their country, and having migrated
at a later period into the western parts of Europe, retained in a
greater degree the primitive words and phrases of their native
language. You will find amongst them the names Oenus, Resus
vflneas, Hector, Achilles, Heliodorus, Theodorus, Ajax, Evander,
Uliex, Anianus, Elisa, Guendolena, and many others, bearing marks
of their antiquity. It is also to be observed, that almost all words
in the British language correspond either with the Greek or Latin,
as v$uq, water, is called in British, dwr; «x?, salt, in British, halen;
ovopa, eno, a name; TTEI/TE, pump, five; SIKK, deg, ten: the Latins
also use the words fraenum, tripos, gladius, lorica; the Britons,
ffrwyn, tribedd, cledhyf, and llurig ; unicus, is made unig ; canis,
cwn ; and belua, beleu.
[325 ]
CHAPTER XVI.
CONCERNING THE SOOTHSAYERS OF THIS NATION, AND PERSONS,
AS IT WERE POSSESSED.
TH ERE are certain persons in Cambria, whom you will find no
where else, called Awenydhyon,* or people inspired; when con-
sulted upon any doubtful event they roar out violently, are ren-
dered beside themselves, and become, as it were, possessed by a
spirit: they do not deliver the answer to what is required in a
* Awenydhion, in a literal sense, means persons inspired by the Muse, and is derived
from Awen and Awenydd, a poetical rapture, or the gift of poetry. It was the appel-
lation of the disciples, or candidates for the Bardic Order; but the most general accep-
tation of the word was, Poets, or Bards. They wore a variegaled dress of the Bardic
colours, blue, green, and white : to be admitted into this class, the first requisite was,
unimpeached morals; for it was indispensably necessary that the candidate should,
above all things, be a good man. He was seldom initiated into any thing considerable
until his understanding, affections, morals, and principles in general, had undergone
severe trials; his passions and faculties were closely observed and exercised when he was
least aware of it; at all times, and in all places, and on every occasion possible, there
was an eye, hid from his observation, continually fixed upon him ; and from the know-
ledge thus obtained of his head and heart, and, in short, his very soul scrutinized, an
estimate was made of his principles and mental abilities, and agreeable to the appro-
bation given, and in the manner and degree thought most proper, he was initiated into
the mysteries, and instructed in the doctrines of Bardism. louring his probationary
state of discipline he was to learn such verses and adages as contained the maxims of
the institution, and to compose others himself on any relative subject, doctrinal or
moral. Owen.
It is worthy of notice, that this term of Awenyddyon agrees in sense and sound
with the Aonides of the Greeks.
[ 326 ]
connected manner; but the person who skilfully observes them,
will find, after many preambles, and many nugatory and incoherent,
though ornamented speeches, the desired explanation conveyed in
some turn of a word: they are then roused from their ecstacy,
as from a deep sleep, and, as it were, by violence compelled to re-
turn to their proper senses. After having answered the questions,
they do not recover till violently shaken by other people ; nor can
they remember the replies they have given. If consulted a second
or a third time upon the same point, they will make use of expres-
sions totally different ; perhaps they speak by the means of fanatic
and ignorant spirits. These gifts are usually conferred upon them
in dreams : some seem to have sweet milk or honey poured on
their lips ; others fancy that a written schedule is applied to their
mouths, and on awaking they publicly declare that they have re-
ceived this gift. Such is the saying of Esdras, " The Lord said unto
me, open thy mouth, and I opened my mouth, and behold a cup
full of water, whose colour was like fire ; and when I had drank it,
my heart brought forth understanding, and wisdom entered into
my breast." They invoke, during their prophecies, the true and
living God, and the Holy Trinity, and pray that they may not by
their sins be prevented from finding the truth. These prophets are
only found among the Britons descended from the Trojans. For
Calchas and Cassandra, endowed with the spirit of prophecy, openly
foretold, during the siege of Troy, the destruction of that fine city:
on which account the high priest Helenus, influenced by the pro-
phetic books of Calchas, and of others who had long before predicted
the ruin of their country, in the first year went over to the Greeks
with the sons of Priam (to whom he was high priest,) and was
[ 327 ]
afterwards rewarded in Greece ; Cassandra, daughter of King
Priam, every day foretold the overthrow of the city ; but the pride
and presumption of the Trojans prevented them from believing her
word. Even on the very night that the city was betrayed, she
clearly described the treachery and the method of it :
" tales casus Cassandra canebat,"
as in the same manner, during the existence of the kingdom of the
Britons, both Merlin Caledonius and Ambrosius are said to have
foretold the destruction of their nation ; as well as the coming of
the Saxons, and afterwards that of the Normans ; and I think a
circumstance related by Aulus Gellius worth inserting in this
place. On the day that Caius Caesar and Cneius Pompey during
the civil war fought a pitched battle in Thessalia, a memorable
event occurred in that part of Italy situated beyond the river Po.
A priest named Cornelius, honourable from his rank, venerable
for his religion, and holy in his manners, in an inspired moment
proclaimed, " Caesar has conquered," and named the clay, the
events, the mutual attack, and the conflicts of the two armies.
Whether such things are exhibited by the spirit, let the reader
more particularly enquire ; I do not assert they are the acts of a
Pythonic or a diabolick spirit ; for as foreknowledge is the property
of God alone ; so is it in his power to confer knowledge of future
events. There are differences of gifts, says the Apostle, but one
and the same spirit: whence Peter in his second Epistle writes,
" for the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but
men spake as if they were inspired by the Holy Ghost : to the same
effect did the Chaldeans answer King Nebuchadonazar on the in-
[ 328 ]
terpretation of his dream, which he wished to extort from them.
" There is not, say they, a man upon earth who can, O king,
satisfactorily answer your question: let no king therefore however
great or potent, make a similar request to any Magician, Astrologer
or Chaldean, for it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there
is none other that can shew it before the king, except the Gods,
whose dwelling is not with flesh." On this passage Jerom re-
marks, " The diviners and all the learned of this world confess,
that the prescience of future events belongs to God alone: the
prophets therefore who foretold things to come, spake by the
spirit of God. Hence some persons object, that, if they were
under the guidance of the Holy Spirit they would sometimes pre-
mise, " Thus saith the Lord God, or make use of some expression
in the prophetic style : and as such a mode of prophesying is not
taken notice of by Merlin, and no mention is made of his sanctity,
devotion, or faith, many think that he spake by a Pythonic spirit ;
to which I answer, that the spirit of prophecy was given not only
to the holy, but sometimes to unbelievers and Gentiles, to Baal, to
the Sibylls, and even to bad people, as to Caiaphas and Bela : on
which occasion Origen says : " Do not wonder, if he whom we
have mentioned declares that the Scribes and Pharisees, and
doctors amongst the Jews prophesied concerning Christ; for Caia-
phas said : " It is expedient for us that one man die for the people :"
but asserts at the same time, that because he was high priest for
that year, he prophesied. Let no man therefore be lifted up, if
he prophesies, if he merits prescience; for prophecies shall fail,
tongues shall cease, knowledge shall vanish away ; and now abideth,
faith, hope, and charity : these three ; but the greatest of these
[ 329 ]
is Charity, which never faileth. But these bad men not only
prophesied, but sometimes performed great miracles, which others
could not accomplish : John the Baptist, who was so great a per-
sonage, performed no miracle, as John the Evangelist testifies:
" And many came to Jesus and said, Because John wrought no
signs," &c. 8cc. ; nor do we hear that the mother of God performed
any miracle : we read in the Acts of the Apostles, that the sons of
Sheva cast out devils in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preached :
and in Matthew and Luke we may find these words : " Many shall
say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in
thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy
name done many wonderful works? and then I will profess unto
them: I never knew you." And in another place, John says:
" Master, we saw a certain man casting out devils in thy name,
and forbade him, because he fblloweth not with us." But Jesus
said : " Forbid him not ; no man can do a miracle in my name,
and speak evil of me : for whoever is not against me, is for me."
Alexander of Macedon, a gentile, traversed the Caspian moun-
tains, and miraculously confined ten tribes within their promon-
tories, where they still remain, and will continue until the coming
of Elias and Enoch. We read indeed the prophecies of Merlin, but
hear nothing either of his sanctity or his miracles : some say, that
the prophets, when they prophesied, did not become frantic, as it is
affirmed of Merlin Silvestris, and others possessed, whom we have
before mentioned. Some prophesied by dreams, visions, and aenig-
matical sayings, as Ezechiel and Daniel ; others by acts and words,
as Noah, in the construction of the ark, alluded to the church ;
Abraham, in the slaying of his son, to the passion of Christ;
VOL. n. U u
[ 330 ]
and Moses by his speech, when he said, " A prophet shall the
Lord God raise up to you of your brethren ; hear him ;" meaning
Christ. Others have prophesied in a more excellent way by the
internal revelation and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, as David did
when persecuted by Saul: " When Saul heard that David had
fled to Naioth (which is a hill in Ramah, and the seat of the pro-
phets), he sent messengers to take him; and when they saw the
company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing at their
head, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they
also prophesied : and he sent messengers a second and again a third
time, and they also prophesied : and Saul enraged went thither
also: and the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on,
and prophesied until he came to Naioth, and he stripped off his
royal vestments, and prophesied with the rest for all that day and
all that night, whilst David and Samuel secretly observed what
passed :" nor is it wonderful that those persons who suddenly re-
ceive the Spirit of God, and so signal a mark of grace, should for a
time seem alienated from their earthly state of mind.
[331 ]
CHAPTER XVII.
THEIR LOVE OF HIGH BIRTH AND ANCIENT GENEALOGY.
THE Welsh esteem noble birth and generous descent above all
things,1 and are therefore more desirous of marrying into good than
rich families. Even the common people retain their genealogy, and
can not only readily recount the names of their grandfathers and
great-grandfathers, but even refer back to the sixth or seventh ge-
neration, or beyond them, in this manner : Rhys son of Gruffydh,
son of Rhys, son of Theodor, son of Eineon, son of Owen, son of
Howel, son of Cadelh, son of Roderic Mawr, and so on.
Being particularly attached to family descent, they revenge with
vehemence the injuries which may tend to the disgrace of their
blood ; and being naturally of a vindictive and passionate disposi-
tion, they are ever ready to avenge not only recent but ancient
* Genealogies were preserved as a principle of necessity under the ancient British
constitution. A man's pedigree was in reality his title deed, by which he claimed his
birthright in the country. Every one was obliged to shew his descent through nine
generations, in order to be acknowledged a free native, and by which right he claimed
his portion of land in the community. He was affected with respect to legal process,
in his collateral affinities through nine degrees. For instance, every murder committed
had a fine levied on the relations of the murderer, divided into nine degrees; his bro-
ther paying the greatest, and the ninth in affinity the least. This fine was distributed
in the same way among the relatives of the victim. A person past the ninth descent
formed a new family. Every family was represented by its elder; and these elders
from every family were delegates to the national council. Owen.
[ 332, ]
affronts ; they neither inhabit towns, villages, nor castles, but lead
a solitary life in the woods, on the borders of which they do not
erect sumptuous palaces, nor lofty stone buildings, but content
themselves with small huts made of the boughs of trees twisted
together, constructed with little labour and expense, and sufficient
to endure throughout the year: they have neither orchards nor
gardens, but gladly eat the fruit of both when given to them. The
greater part of their land is laid down to pasturage ; little is culti-
vated, a very small quantity is ornamented with flowers, and a
still smaller is sown : they seldom yoke less than four oxen to their
ploughs ; the driver walks before, but backwards, and when he falls
down, is frequently exposed to danger from the refractory oxen.
Instead of small sickles in mowing they make use of a moderate
sized piece of iron formed like a knife, with two pieces of wood
fixed loosely and flexibly to the head, which they think a more
expeditious instrument ; but since
" Segnius irritant animos demissa per aures,
Quam quae sunt oculis subjecta fidelibus ;"
their mode of using it will be better known by inspection, than by
any description. The boats b which they employ in fishing or in
crossing the rivers are made of twigs, not oblong nor pointed, but
b The naviculee mentioned by Giraldus, bear the modern name of coracles, and are
much used on the Welsh rivers for the taking of salmon ; their name is derived pro-
bably from the Celtic word Corawg, which signifies a ship.
" Parva scapha ex vimine facta, quae contexta crudo corio, genus navigii praebet."
A small boat made of twigs, and covered with raw leather.
These slight boats are also mentioned by many of the ancient writers :
" In Brilannico oceano vililes corio circumsutae n'unt." Pliny, lib. vii. p. 417.
[ 333 ]
almost round, or rather triangular, covered both within and with-
out with raw hides : when a salmon thrown into one of these boats
strikes it hard with his tail, he often oversets it, and endangers both
the vessel and its navigator. The fishermen, according to the cus-
tom of the country, in going to and from the rivers, cany these
boats on their shoulders ; on which occasion that famous dealer in
fables, Bledherc, who lived a little before our time, thus myste-
riously said : " There is amongst us a people, who when they go
out in search of prey, carry their horses on their backs to the place
of plunder; in order to catch their prey, they leap upon their
horses, and when it is taken, carry their horses home again upon
their shoulders."
" • gemuit sub pondere cymba
Sutilis, et multam accepit rimosa paludem." Virgil ^Eneid vi. 134.
cui pelle saltim sulcare Britannum
Ludus, et assnto glaucum mare findere lembo." Sidonius, c. vn. 371;
The boats used by the Babylonians, as described by Herodotus, lib. i. p. 92, seem
to bear a great resemblance to those used both by the ancient and modern Britons:
" Navigia illis sunt omnia circular! forma, eaque ex corio. Ubi enim ligna circu-
laria e salice coaptarunt, obtendunt extrorsus tegumenta e pellibus, quibus soli vice
utuntur, carinaeque loco; nulla neque puppis, neque prorae forma discreta, verum
scuti instar in orbem composita; deinde stipula referciunt, illudque navigiutn flumini
permittunt."
[334]
CHAPTER XVIII.
THEIR ANCIENT FAITH, LOVE OF CHRISTIANITY, AND DEVOTION.
IN ancient times, and about two hundred years before the over-
throw of Britain, the Welsh were instructed and confirmed in the
faith, by Faganus and Damianus, sent into the island at the request
of King Lucius by Pope Eleutherius, and from that period when
Gei manus of Auxerre, and Lupus of Troyes, came over on account
of the corruption which had crept into the island by the invasion
of the Saxons, but particularly with a view of expelling the Pela-
gian heresy, nothing heretical or contrary to the true faith was to
be found amongst the natives. But it is said that some parts of
the ancient doctrines are still retained. They give the first piece
broken off from every loaf of bread to the poor ; they sit down to
dinner by three in a company, in honour of the Trinity. With ex-
tended arms and bowing head, they ask a blessing of every monk
or priest, or of every person wearing a religious habit. But they
desire, above all other nations, the episcopal ordination and
unction, by which the grace of the spirit is given. They give a
tenth of all their property, animals, cattle, and sheep, either when
they marry, or go on a pilgrimage, or, by the counsel of the church,
are persuaded to amend their lives : this partition of their effects
they call the great tithe, two parts of which they give to the church
where they were baptized, and the third to the bishop of the
[ 335 ]
diocese. But of all pilgrimages, they prefer that to Rome, where
they pay the most fervent adoration to the apostolic see. We ob-
serve that they shew a greater respect than other nations to churches
and ecclesiastical persons, to the relics of saints, bells, holy books,
and the cross, which they devoutly revere ; and hence their churches
enjoy more than common tranquillity. For peace is not only pre-
served towards all animals feeding in church-yards, but at a great
distance beyond them, where certain boundaries and ditches have
been appointed by the bishops, in order to maintain the security of
the sanctuary. But the principal churches to which antiquity has
annexed the greater reverence, extend their protection to the herds
as far as they can go to feed in the morning and return at night.
If therefore any person has incurred the enmity of his prince, on
applying to the church for protection, he and his family will con-
tinue to live unmolested : but many persons abuse this indemnity,
far exceeding the indulgence of the canon, which in such cases
grants only personal safety; and from the places of refuge even
make hostile irruptions, and more severely harass the country than
the prince himself. Hermits and anachorites more strictly absti-
nent and more spiritual, can no where be found ; for this nation
is earnest in all its pursuits, and neither worse men than the bad,
nor better than the good, can be met with.
Happy and fortunate indeed would this nation be, nay, com-
pletely blessed, if it had good prelates and pastors, and but one
prince, and that prince a good one.
DESCRIPTION
OF
WALES.
BOOK II.
HAVING in the former book clearly set forth the nature, manners,
and customs of the British nation, and having collected and ex-
plained every thing whicli could redound to its credit or glory; an
attention to order now requires, that, in this second part, we should
employ our pen in pointing out those particulars in which it seems
to transgress the line of virtue and commendation; having first
obtained leave to speak the truth, without which History not only
loses its authority, but becomes undeserving of its very name. For
the painter, who professes to imitate nature, loses his reputation, if,
by indulging his fancy, he represents only those parts of the sub-
ject which best suit him.
Since therefore no man is born without faults, and he is esteemed
the best, whose errors are the least ; let the wise man consider every
thing human as connected with himself. For in wordly affairs,
VOL. ii. X x
[ 338 ]
there is no perfect happiness under heaven ; evil borders upon good,
and vices are confounded with virtues: as the report of good
qualities is delightful to a well disposed mind, so the relation of
the contrary should not be offensive. The natural disposition of
this nation might have been corrupted and perverted by long exile
and poverty ; for as poverty extinguisheth many faults, so it often
generates failings that are contrary to virtue.
CHAPTER I.
CONCERNING THE INCONSTANCY AND INSTABILITY OF THIS
NATION, AND THEIR WANT OF REVERENCE FOR
GOOD FAITH AND OATHS.
THESE people are no less light in mind than in body, and are by
no means to be relied upon ; they are easily urged to undertake
any action, and are as easily checked from prosecuting it ; a people,
quick in action, but more stubborn in a bad than a good cause, and
constant only in acts of inconstancy. They pay no respect to oaths,
faith, or truth ; and so lightly do they esteem the covenant of faith,
held so inviolable by other nations, that it is usual to sacrifice their
faith for nothing, by holding forth the right hand, not only in
serious and important concerns, but even on every trifling occasion,
and for the confirmation of almost every common assertion : they
[ 339 ]
never scruple taking a false oath for the sake of any temporal
emolument or advantage ; so that in civil and ecclesiastical causes,
each party, being ready to swear whatever seems expedient to its
purpose, endeavours both to prove and defend; although the
venerable laws, by which oaths are deemed sacred, and truth is
honoured and respected, by favouring the accused and throwing an
odium upon the accuser, impose the burden of bringing proofs upon
the latter: but to a people so cunning and crafty, this yoke is
pleasant, and this burden is light.
CHAPTER II.
THEIR LIVING BY PLUNDER, AND DISREGARD OF THE BONDS OF
PEACE AND FRIENDSHIP.
THIS nation conceives it right to commit acts of plunder, theft,
and robbery, not only against foreigners and hostile nations, but
even against their own countrymen. When an opportunity of
attacking the enemy with advantage occurs, they respect not the
leagues of peace and friendship, preferring base lucre to the solemn
obligations of oaths and good faith ; to which circumstance Gildas
alludes in his book, concerning the overthrow of the Britons, actu-
ated by the love of truth, and according to the rules of history, not
suppressing the vices of his countrymen : " they are neither brave
[340]
in war, nor faithful in peace." But when Julius Caesar, great as the
world itself,
" Territa quaesitis ostendit terga Britannis,"
were they not brave under their leader Cassivellaunus ? And
when Belinus and Brennus added the Roman empire to their con-
quests ? What were they in the time of Constantine, son of our
Helen? What, in the reign of Aurelius Ambrosius, whom even
Eutropius commends ? What were they in the time of our famous
Prince Arthur? I will not say fabulous. On the contrary, they,
who were almost subdued by the Scots and Picts, often harassed
with success the auxiliary Roman legions, and exclaimed, as we
leam from Gildas, " the barbarians drove us to the sea, the sea
drove us again back to the barbarians ; on one side we were sub-
dued, on the other drowned ; and here we were put to death."
" Were they not," says he, " at that time brave and praise- worthy?"
When attacked and conquered by the Saxons, who originally had
been called in as stipendiaries to their assistance, were they not
brave? But the strongest argument, made use of by those who
accuse this nation of cowardice, is, that Gildas, a holy man and a
Briton by birth, has handed down to posterity nothing remarkable
concerning them, in any of his historical works. We promise, how-
ever, a solution of the contrary in our British Topography, if God
grants us a continuance of life.
As a further proof, it may be necessary to add, that from the
time, when Arthur, the illustrious prince of the Britons, totally
exhausted the strength of the country, by transporting the whole
armed force beyond the seas ; that island, which had before been so
[341 ]
highly illustrious for its incomparable valour, remained for many
subsequent years destitute of men and arms, and exposed to the
predatory attacks of pirates and robbers ; so distinguished, indeed,
were the natives of this island for their bravery, that by their
prowess, Prince Arthur subdued almost all Cisalpine Gaul, and
dared even to make an attack on the Roman Empire.
In process of time the Britons recovering their long lost popu-
lation and knowledge of the use of arms, reacquired their high and
ancient character. Let the different aera be therefore marked, and
the historical accounts will accord. With regard to Gildas, who
inveighs so bitterly against his own nation ; the Britons affirm, that
highly irritated at the death of his brother, whom King Arthur had
slain, he wrote these invectives, and upon the same occasion threw
into the sea, many other books, in which he had described the
actions of Arthur, and the celebrated deeds of his countrymen;
from which cause it arises, that no authentic account of so great a
prince is any where to be found.
[342 ]
CHAPTER III.
THEIR WARLIKE ENGAGEMENTS, AND BASE AND DISHONOURABLE
FLIGHT.
IN war this nation is very severe in the first attack, terrible by
their clamour and looks, filling the air with horrid shouts, and the
deep toned clangor of very long trumpets ; swift and rapid in their
advances and frequent throwing of darts. Bold in the first onset,
they cannot bear a repulse, being easily thrown into confusion as
soon as they turn their backs ; and they trust to flight for safety,
without attempting to rally, which the poet thought reprehensible
in martial conflicts :
" Ignavum scelus est tantum fuga.
" In vitium culpae ducit fuga, si caret arte."
The character given to the Teutones, in the Roman history, may
be applied to this people : " In their first attack they are more
than men, in the second, less than women." Their courage mani-
fests itself chiefly in the retreat, when they frequently return, and,
like the Parthians, shoot their arrows behind them : and as after
success and victory in battle, even cowards boast of their courage ;
so after a reverse of fortune, even the bravest men are not allowed
their due claims of merit. Their mode of fighting consists in chasing
the enemy or in retreating. This light armed people, relying more
[ 343 ]
on their activity than their strength, cannot struggle for the field
of battle, enter into close engagements, or endure long and severe
actions, such as the poet describes :
" Jam clypeo clypeus, umbone repellitur umbo,
" Ense minax ensis, pede pes, et cuspide cuspis."
Though defeated and put to flight on one day, they are ready to
resume the combat on the next, neither dejected by their loss, nor
their dishonour ; and although perhaps they do not display great
fortitude in open engagements, and regular conflicts, yet they harass
the enemy by ambuscades and nightly sallies. Hence, neither op-
pressed by hunger nor cold ; not fatigued by martial labours, nor
despondent in adversity, but ready, after a defeat, to return imme-
diately to action, and again endure the dangers of war ; they are as
easy to overcome in a single battle, as difficult to subdue in a pro-
tracted war. The poet Claudian thus speaks of a people similar in
disposition :
" Dum pereunt, meminere mali : si corda parumper
" Respirare sinas, nullo tot funera censu
" Praetereunt, tantique levis jactura cruoris."
[344 ]
CHAPTER IV.
THEIR AMBITIOUS SEIZURE OF LANDS, AND DISSENSIONS AMONG
BROTHERS.
THIS nation is above all others addicted to the digging up of
boundary ditches, removing the limits, transgressing the land-
marks, and extending their territory by every possible means. So
great is their disposition towards this common violence, that
they scruple not to claim as their hereditary right, those lands
which are held under lease, or at will, on condition of plant-
ing, or by any other title, even although indemnity had been
publicly secured on oath to the tenant by the lord proprietor of
the soil : hence arise suits and contentions, murders and conflagra-
tions, and frequent fratricides, increased perhaps by the ancient
national custom of brothers dividing their property amongst each
other. Another heavy grievance also prevails ; the princes entrust
the education of their children to the care of the principal men in
their country ; each of whom, after the death of their father, endea-
vours, by every possible means, to exalt his own charge above his
neighbour's ; from which cause great disturbances have frequently
arisen amongst brothers, and terminated in the most cruel and un-
just murders ; and on which account friendships are found to be
more sincere between foster brothers, than between those who are
connected by the natural ties of brotherhood : it is also remarkable,
[ 345 ]
that brothers shew more affection to each other when dead, than
when living ; for they persecute the living even unto death, but
revenge the deceased with all their power.
CHAPTER V.
THEIR GREAT EXACTION, AND WANT OF MODERATION.
WHERE they find plenty, and can exercise their power, they levy
the most unjust exactions : immoderate in their love of food and
intoxicating drink, they say with the Apostle, " We are instructed
both to abound, and to suffer need." But do not add with him,
" becoming all things to all men, that I might by all means save
some." As in times of scarcity their abstinence and parsimony are
too severe; so, when seated at another man's table, after a long
fasting, (like wolves and eagles, who, like them, live by plunder,
and are rarely satisfied,) their appetite is immoderate: they are
therefore penurious in times of scarcity, and extravagant in times of
plenty: but no man, as in England, mortgages his property for the
gluttonous gratification of his own appetite. They wish, however,
that all people would join with them in their bad habits and ex-
penses ; as the commission of crimes reduces to a level all those
who are concerned in the perpetration of them.
VOL. ii. Y y
[ 346 ]
CHAPTER VI.
CONCERNING THE CRIME OF INCEST AND THE ABUSE OF CHURCHES
BY SUCCESSION AND PARTICIPATION.
THE crime of incest hath so much prevailed, not only among the
higher, but the lower orders of this people, that, not having the
fear of God before their eyes, they are not ashamed of intermarry-
ing with their relations, even in the third degree of consanguinity.
They generally abuse these dispensations with a view of appeasing
those enmities which so often subsist between them, " because their
feet are swift to shed blood ; and from their love of high descent,
which they so ardently affect and covet, they unite themselves to
their own people, refusing to intermarry with strangers, and arro-
gantly presuming on their own superiority of blood and family.
They do not engage in marriage, until they have tried, by previous
cohabitation, the disposition and particularly the fecundity of the
person with whom they are engaged. An ancient custom also pre-
vails of hiring girls from their parents at a certain price, and a sti-
pulated penalty, in case of relinquishing their connection.
Their churches have almost as many parsons and parties as there
are principal men in the parish : the sons, after the decease of their
fathers, succeed to the ecclesiastical benefices, not by election ; but
by hereditary right possessing and polluting the sanctuary of God.
And if a prelate should by chance presume to appoint or institute
[347 ]
any other person, the people would certainly revenge the injury
upon the institutor and the instituted. With respect to these two ex-
cesses of incest and succession, which took root formerly in Armo-
rica, and are not yet eradicated, Ildebert Bishop of Le Mans, in one
of his Epistles, says, " that he was present with a British priest at
a council summoned with a view of putting an end to the enor-
mities of this nation :" hence it appears that these vices have for a
long time prevailed both in Britany and Britain. The words of
the Psalmist may not inaptly be applied to them ; " They are cor-
rupt and become abominable in their doings, there is none that
doeth good, no not one : they are all gone out of the way, they are
altogether become abominable," fcc. &c.
[348 ]
CHAPTER VII.
THEIR SINS, AND THE CONSEQUENT LOSS OF BRITAIN AND OF TROY.
MOREOVER, through their sins, and particularly that detestable and
wicked vice of Sodom, as well as by divine vengeance, they lost
Britain, as they formerly lost Troy. For we read in the Roman
history, that the Emperor Constantine having resigned the city and
the Western Empire to the blessed Sylvester and his successors, with
an intention of rebuilding Troy, and there establishing the chief
seat of the Eastern Empire, heard a voice, saying, " Dost thou go
to rebuild Sodom?" upon which, he altered his intention, turned
his ships and standards towards Byzantium, and there fixing his
seat of empire, gave his own propitious name to the city. The
British history informs us, that Mailgon, King of the Britons, and
many others, were addicted to this vice ; that enormity, however,
had entirely ceased for so long a time, that the recollection of it
was nearly worn out. Afterwards, as if the time of repentance was
almost expired, and because the nation, by its warlike successes
and acquisition of territory, was unusually increased in population
and strength ; they boast in their turn, and most confidently and
unanimously affirm, that in a short time their countrymen shall
return to the island, and, according to the prophecies of Merlin,
the nation and even the name of foreigners shall be extinguished in
the island, and the Britons shall exult again in their ancient name
and privileges. But to me it appears far otherwise, for since
[349 ]
" Luxuriant animi rebus plerumque secundis ;
" Nee facile est aequa commoda mente pati."
And because
" Non habet unde suum paupertas pascat amorem,
" Divitiis alitur luxuriosus amor."
So that their abstinence from that vice, which in their prosperity
they could not resist, may be attributed more justly to their poverty
and state of exile, than to their sense of virtue. For they cannot
be said to have repented, when we see them involved in such an
abyss of vices, perjury, theft, robbery, rapine, murders, fratricides,
adultery, and incest, and become every day more entangled and
ensnared in malice ; so that the words of the prophet Hosea may
be truly applied to them, " there is no truth, nor mercy," foe. foe.
Other matters of which they boast are more properly to be
attributed to the diligence and activity of the Norman kings, than
to their own merits or power. For previous to the coming of the
Normans, when the English kings contented themselves with the
sovereignty of Britain alone, and employed their whole military
force in the subjugation of this people, they almost wholly extir-
pated them; as did King Offa, who by a long and extensive dyke
separated the British from the English ; Ethelfrid also, who demo-
lished the noble city of Legions,3 and put to death the monks of
the celebrated monasteiyat Banchor,b who had been called in to
a By the city of Legions Chester is meant, not Caerleon.
b The historian Cressy informs us, that a school of learning was established at
Banchor in the time of King Lucius, A. D. 189 5 and Bale adds, that at that period it
[ 350 ]
promote the success of the Britons by their prayers ; and lastly
Harold, who himself on foot, with an army of light armed infantry,
and conforming to the customary diet of the country, so bravely
penetrated through every part of Wales, that he scarcely left a man
was a college of Christian philosophers. From the former I shall transcribe the
account of the slaughter of the monks at Banchor : " The year of our Lord six hundred
and thirteen was blackened by a grievous calamity happening to the Britons, and
among them principally to those who least deserved it, the religious monks of the
famous monastery at Banchor. Which calamity was brought upon them by the bar-
barous King of the Northumbrians, Ethelfrid, who well deserved the sirname ofjerus,
or savage. The following story is related of him by Saint Beda: The most powerful
King of the Angles, ^dilfrid, having gathered a mighty army, made a terrible
slaughter of the perfidious Britons at the city of Legions, in the English tongue called
Legacester, but more rightly in the British Caer-legion, or Chester. When he was
ready to begin the battle, he saw their priests, who were met together in order to pray
to God for their army, standing apart from it in a place of greater safety ; whereupon
he enquired who those men were, and for what design they were assembled in that
place ? Now most of them were of the monastery of Banchor, in which the number
of monks was so great, that being divided into seven companies, each under a parti-
cular president, every company consisted of no fewer than seven hundred, and all
lived by manual labour. They had resorted to the army, after having celebrated a
fast for three days, to offer up their prayers on its behalf; and a person, named
Brochmael, was appointed as their leader, with convenient forces to protect them
from their enemies, whilst they were intent upon their prayers.
" King /Edilfrid, having understood the cause why these monks were come together,
said. ' If it then be true, that they cry unto their God against us, they do truly fight
against us; and though they wear no arms, yet they persecute us with their impre-
cations.' Thereupon he ordered the attack to be made upon them first; and he after-
wards destroyed the remainder of the Britons, though not without a considerable loss
on his own side. It is reported, that of those monks who came to pray, there were no
fewer slain than twelve hundred, and that fifty only escaped by flight; for Brochmael
at the first charge of the enemy fled with all his soldiers, leaving those, whom he
ought to have defended, naked and unarmed to the swords of the barbarous Saxons."
Cressy, Vol. I. p. 320.
Another ancient historian, speaking of this event, says, " Testis est Legionum civi-
tas, quae nunc simpliciter Cestra vocatur, quaeque ad id temporis a Britannis possessa,
[351 ]
alive in it ; and as a memorial of his signal victories, many stones
maybe found in Wales bearing this inscription: HIC VICTOR FUIT
HAROLDUS. HERE HAROLD CONQUERED.0
To these bloody and recent victories of the English, may be attri-
buted the peaceable state of Wales during the reigns of the three
contumacis in regem populi alebat superbiam, ad cujus oppugnationem cum inlen-
disset animum; oppidani, qui omnia perpeti, quam obsidionem mallent, simul et
numero confisi, effuse in bellum ruunt, quos ille insidiis exceptos fudit, fugavitque:
prius in monachos debacchatus, qui pro salute exercitus supplicaturi frequentes con-
venerant. Quorum incredibilem nostra aetate numerum fuisse indicio sunt, in vicino
coenobio tot semiruti parietes ecclesiarum, tot anfractus porticuum, tanta turba ru-
derum, quantum vix alibi cernas." Will. Malmesbury, p. 18.
* Of the stones inscribed "HIC VICTOR FUIT HAROLDUS," — HERE HAROLD CON-
QUERED, no original, I believe, remains extant at this very remote period ; but at the
village of Trelech in Monmouthshire, there is a modern pedestal bearing the above
inscription. — See the description and engraving in Coxe's Monmouthshire, p. 234.
Harold the Dane was son of Earl Godwyn, and according to the words of the
Welsh Chronicle was induced to come into Wales by Caradoc ap Gruffyth ap
Rytherch, in order to oppose Gruffyth ap Lhewelyn, and by whose assistance he
hoped to obtain the government of South Wales. But it fell out otherwise : for when
Harold understood that he should not get that at the hands of Caradoc which he
looked for, which was a certain lordship in Wales nigh unto Hereford ; and knowing
also Caradoc to be a subtile and deceitful man ; compounding with Meredyth for that
lordship, he made him King of South Wales, and banished Caradoc out of the country.
Harold having afterwards obtained that lordship, he builded there a princely and
sumptuous house at a place called Portscwit, (near the Bristol channel and the new
passage.)
Giraldus in Chapter XL Book II. of his Itinerary says, " that Harold, the last of
the Saxon kings, having escaped from the battle of Hastings with the loss of his left
eye, retired to the neighbourhood of Chester, and there ended his days in religious
solitude." Here our author seems to have committed a careless biographical error,
for though historians differ as to the manner of his death, they all seem to concur in
fixing the scene of it, viz. at the battle of Hastings.
William of Malmesbury, page 101, at the same time that he records his death in
tne battle of Hastings, pays this tribute to his bravery : " At ubi jactu sagittae violato
[ 352 ]
first Norman kings; when the nation encreased in population,
and being taught the use of arms and the management of horses,
by the English and Normans, (with whom they had much inter-
course, by following the court, or by being sent as hostages,) took
advantage of the necessary attention which the three succeeding
kings were obliged to pay to their foreign possessions, and once
more lifting up their crests, recovered their lands, and spurned
the yoke that had formerly been imposed upon them.
cerebro procubuit Haroldus, fuga Anglorum perennis in noctem fuit. Emicuit ibi
virtus amborum ducum. Huroldus non contentus munere imperatorio, ut hortaretur
alios, militis officium sedulo exequebatur; saepe hostem comings venientem ferire, ut
nullus impune accederet, quin statim uno ictu eques et equus prociderent. Jacenlis
femur unus militum gladio proscidit, unde a Willielmo ignominiae notatus, quod rem
ignavam et pudendam fecessit, militia pulsus est. Corpus Haroldi matri repetenti
sine pretio Willielmus misit. Acceptuui itaque apud Waltham sepelivit, quain ipse
ecclesiam ex proprio constructam in honore Sanctas Crucis canonicis impleverat."
The monk of Chester, Lib. VI. p. 262, agrees with Malmesbury about his death at
Hastings, and burial at Waltham.
" At last Harolde was smiten with an arowe, and lost his one eye, and was hurte on
the brayne, and felle downe in that place, and one of the knyghtes smote hym in the
thyghe whyle he laye there ; and therefore Wyllyam put that knyght out of the chy-
valrye, for he hadde done an uncummynge dede.
" Wyllyam sende Harolde's body to Harolde's mother without any mede, as she had
prayed ; and she bu^ed hym at Walthain in the Abbaye of Chanons, that Harolde
had founded. But Gyraldus Cambrensis, in his book called Itinerarius, wolde meane,
that Harolde had many woundes, and lost his lefte eye with the strooke of an arrowe,
and was overcome, and escaped to the countree of Chester, and lyved there holyly, as
men troweth an anker's (anachorite's) lyfe in Saynt James's cellt fas by Saynt John's
chyrch, and made a goede ende, and was knowen by his last confessyon, and the
comune fame accorded in that cyte to that same.
"Also Aluredus Rivallesis, in Saynt Edwarde's lyfe, Cap. XXVI. sayth, that
Harolde other dyed wretchydly, other he escaped and was preserved to doo worthy
penaunce."
[ 353 ]
CHAPTER VIII.
IN WHAT MANNER THIS NATION IS TO BE OVERCOME.
THE prince who would wish to subdue this nation, and govern it
peaceably, must use this method. He must be determined to apply
a diligent and constant attention to this purpose for one year at
least ; for a people who with a collected force will not openly at-
tack the enemy in the field, nor wait to be besieged in castles, is not
to be overcome at the first onset, but to be worn out by prudent
delay and patience. Let him divide their strength, and by bribes
and promises endeavour to stir up one against the other, knowing
the spirit of hatred and envy which generally prevails amongst
them : and in the autumn, let not only the marches, but also the
interior part of the country be strongly fortified with castles, pro-
visions, and confidential families. In the mean time the purchase
of corn, cloth, and salt, with which they are usually supplied from
England, should be strictly interdicted ; and well manned ships
placed as a guard on the coast to prevent their importation of these
articles from Ireland or the Severn sea, and to facilitate the supply
of his own army. Afterwards, when the severity of winter ap-
proaches, when the trees are void of leaves, and the mountains no
longer afford pasturage; when they are deprived of any hopes of
plunder, and harassed on every side by the repeated attacks of the
enemy ; let a body of light armed infantry penetrate into their
VOL. II. Z Z
[ 354 ]
woody and mountainous retreats, and let these troops be supported
and relieved by others ; and thus by frequent changes, and replacing
the men who are either fatigued or slain in battle, this nation may
be ultimately subdued ; nor can it be overcome without the above
precautions, nor without great danger and loss of men. Though
many of the English hired troops may perish in a day of battle,
money will procure as many or more on the morrow for the same
service: but to the Welsh, who have neither foreign nor stipendiary
troops, the loss is for the time irreparable. In these matters there-
fore, as an artificer is to be trusted in his trade, so attention is to be
paid to the counsel of those, who having been long conversant in
similar concerns, are become acquainted with the manners and
customs of their country, and whom it greatly interests, that
an enemy, for whom during long and frequent conflicts they have
contracted an implacable hatred, should by their assistance be
either weakened or destroyed. Happy should I have termed the
borders of Wales inhabited by the English, if their kings in the
government of these parts, and in their military operations against
the enemy, had rather employed the marchers and barons of the
country, than adopted the counsels and policy of the people of
Anjou and the Normans. In this, as well as in every other military
expedition, either in Ireland or in Wales, the natives of the marches,
from the constant state of warfare in which they are engaged, and
whose manners are formed from the habits of war, are bold and
active, skilful on horseback, quick on foot, not nice as to their diet,
and ever prepared when necessity requires to abstain both from
corn and wine. By such men were the first hostile attacks made
upon Wales as well as Ireland, and by such men alone can their
[ 355 ]
final conquest be accomplished. For the Flemings, Normans, Co-
terells, and Bragmans, are good and well disciplined soldiers in
their own country ; but the Gallic soldiery is known to differ much
from the Welsh and Irish : in their country, the battle is on level,
here on rough ground ; there in an open field, here in forests ; there
they consider their arms as an honour, here as a burden ; there sol-
diers are taken prisoners, here they are beheaded ; there they are
ransomed, here they are put to death. Where therefore the armies
engage in a flat country, a heavy and complex armour, made of
cloth and iron, both protects and decorates the soldier ; but when
the engagement is in narrow defiles, in woods or marshes, where
the infantry have the advantage over the cavalry, a light armour
is preferable : for light arms afford sufficient protection against un-
armed men, by whom victory is either lost or won at the first onset ;
where it is necessary that an active and retreating enemy should be
overcome by a certain proportional quantity of moderate armour :
for with a more complex sort, and with high and curved saddles,
it is difficult to dismount, more so to mount, and with the greatest
difficulty can such troops march, if required, with the infantry. In
order therefore that
" Singula quaeque locum teneant sortita decenter;"
we maintain it is necessary to employ heavy armed, and strong
troops against men heavily armed, depending entirely upon their
natural strength, and accustomed to fight in an open plain; but
against light armed and active troops, who prefer rough ground ;
men accustomed to such conflicts, and armed in a similar manner,
must be employed. But let the cities and fortresses on the Severn,
[ 356 ]
and the whole territory on its western banks towards Wales, occu-
pied by the English, as well as the provinces of Shropshire and
Cheshire, which are protected by powerful armies, or by any other
special privileges and honourable independance, rejoice in the pro-
vident bounty of their prince. There should be a yearly examina-
tion of the warlike stores, of the arms, and horses, by good and dis-
creet men deputed for that purpose, and who, not intent upon its
plunder and ruin, interest themselves in the defence and protection
of their country ; by these salutary measures, the soldiers, citizens,
and the whole mass of the people being instructed and accustomed
to the use of arms, liberty may be opposed by liberty, and pride be
checked by pride. For the Welsh, who are neither worn out by
laborious burdens, nor molested by the exactions of their lords, are
ever prompt to avenge an injury: hence arise their distinguished
bravery in the defence of their country; hence their readiness to
take up arms, and to rebel. Nothing so much excites, encourages,
and invites the hearts of men to probity, as the chearfulness of
liberty: nothing so much dejects and dispirits them as the oppres-
sion of servitude. This portion of the kingdom protected by arms
and courage, might be of great use to the prince, not only in these
or the adjacent parts, but, if necessity required, in more remote
regions: and although the public treasury might receive a smaller
annual revenue from these provinces, yet the deficiency would be
abundantly compensated by the peace of the kingdom, and the
honour of its sovereign ; especially as the heavy and dangerous ex-
penses of one military expedition into Wales, usually amount to
the whole income arising from the revenues of the province.
[357 ]
CHAPTER IX.
IN WHAT MANNER WALES, WHEN CONQUERED, SHOULD BE GOVERNED.
As therefore this nation is to be subdued by resolution in the
manner proposed, so when subdued, its government must be di-
rected by moderation, according to the following plan : let the care
of it be committed to a man of a firm and determined mind ; who,
during the time of peace, by paying due obedience to the laws,
and respect to the government, may render it firm and stable : for,
like other nations in a barbarous state, this people, although they
are strangers to the principles of honour, yet above all things desire
to be honoured ; and approve and respect in others that truth which
they themselves do not profess. Whenever the natural inconstancy
of their indisposition shall induce them to revolt, let punishment
instantly follow the offence ; but when they shall have submitted
themselves again to order, and made proper amends for their faults
(as it is the custom of bad men to remember wrath after quarrels,)
let their former transgression be overlooked, and let them enjoy
security and respect, as long as they continue faithful: thus, by
mild treatment, they will be invited to obedience and the love of
peace, and the thought of certain punishment will deter them from
rash attempts. We have often observed persons who, confounding
these matters, by complaining of faults, depressing for services, flat-
tering in war, plundering in peace, despoiling the weak, paying respect
[ 358 ]
to revolters ; by thus rendering all things confused, have at length
been confounded themselves. Besides, as circumstances which are
foreseen do less mischief; and as that state is happy which thinks
of war in the time of peace ; let the wise man be upon his guard,
and prepared against the approaching inconveniences of war, by
the construction of forts, the widening of passes through woods,
and the providing of a trusty household ; for those who are che-
rished and sustained during the time of peace, are more ready to
come forward in times of danger, and are more confidently to be
depended upon ; and as a nation unsubdued ever meditates plots
under the disguise of friendship, let not the prince or his governor
entrust the protection of his camp or capital to their fidelity. By
the examples of many remarkable men, some of whom have been
cruelly put to death, and others deprived of their castles and dig-
nities, by their own neglect and want of care ; we may see, that the
artifices of a crafty and subdued nation are much more to be
dreaded than their open warfare ; their good-will than their anger,
their honey than their gall, their malice than their attack, their
treachery than their aggression, and their pretended friendship more
than their open enmity. A prudent and provident man therefore
should contemplate in the misfortunes of others what he ought him-
self to avoid ; correction taught by example is harmless, as Ennodius"
says : " The ruin of predecessors instructs those who succeed ; and
a former miscarriage becomes a future caution." If a well-disposed
prince should wish these great designs to be accomplished without
the effusion of blood ; the marches, as we before mentioned, must be
put into a state of defence on all sides, and all intercourse by sea and
• In one MS. of Giraldus in the British Museum, this name is written Ovidius.
[359 ]
land interdicted ; some of the Welsh may be stirred up to deadly
feuds, by means of stipends, and by transferring the property of one
person to another ; and thus worn out with hunger, and a want of
the necessaries of life, and harassed by frequent murders and im-
placable enmities, they will at last be compelled to surrender.
There are three things which ruin this nation, and prevent its
enjoying the satisfaction of a fruitful progeny : first, because both
the natural and legitimate sons endeavour to divide the paternal
inheritance amongst themselves ; from which cause, as we have
before observed, continual fratricides take place. Secondly, because
the education of their sons is committed to the care of the high-born
people of the country, who, on the death of their fathers, endeavour
by all possible means to exalt their pupil ; from whence arise mur-
ders, conflagrations, and almost a total destruction of the country ;
and, thirdly, because from the pride and obstinacy of their disposi-
tion, they will not (like other nations) subject themselves to the
dominion of one lord and king.
[ 360 ]
CHAPTER X.
IN WHAT MANNER THIS NATION MAY RESIST AND REVOLT.
HAVING hitherto so partially and elaborately spoken in favour of
the English, and being equally connected by birth with each
nation, justice demands that we should argue on both sides ; let us
therefore at the close of our work turn our attention towards the
Welsh, and briefly but effectually instruct them in the art of resis-
tance. If the Welsh were more commonly accustomed to the
Gallic mode of arming, and depended more on a steady fighting
than on their agility : if their princes were unanimous and insepa-
rable in their defence ; or rather, if they had only one prince, and
that a good one ; this nation, situated in so powerful, strong, and
inaccessible a country, could hardly ever be completely overcome.
If therefore they would be inseparable, they would become insupe-
rable, being assisted by these three circumstances ; a country well
defended by nature, a people both contented and accustomed to
live upon little, a community whose nobles as well as privates are
instructed in the use of arms : and especially as the English fight
for power, the Welsh for liberty ; the one to procure gain, the
other to avoid loss: the English hirelings for money, the Welsh
patriots for their country. The English, I say, fight in order
to expel the natural inhabitants from the island, and secure to
themselves the possession of the whole ; but the Welsh maintain
[361 ]
the conflict, that they, who have so long enjoyed the sovereignty
of the whole kingdom, may at least find a hiding place in the worst
corner of ii, amongst the woods and marshes ; and, banished, as it
were, for their offences, may there in a state of poverty, for a limited
time, perform penance for the excesses they committed in the days
of their prosperity. For the perpetual remembrance of their
former greatness, the recollection of their Trojan descent, and the
high and continued majesty of the kingdom of Britain, may draw
forth many a latent spark of animosity, and encourage the daring
spirit of rebellion. Hence during the military expedition which
King Henry the Second made in our days against South Wales, an
old Welshman at Pencadair, who had faithfully adhered to him,
being desired to give his opinion about the royal army and whether
he thought that of the rebels would make resistance, and what
would be the final event of this war, replied, "This nation, O king,
may now, as in former times, be harassed, and in a great measure
weakened and destroyed by your and other powers, and it will
often prevail by its laudable exertions ; but it can never be totally
subdued through the wrath of man, unless the wrath of God shall
concur. Nor do I think, that any other nation than this of Wales,
or any other language, whatever may hereafter come to pass, shall
in the day of severe examination before the Supreme Judge, answer
for this corner of the earth."
VOL. n. 3 A
SUPPLEMENT
TO THE
ITINERARY
AND
DESCRIPTION OF WALES
OF
GIRALDUS DE BARRI.
BY
SIR RICHARD COLT HOARE, BART.
F. R. S. F. A. S.
SUPPLEMENT.
The figures betzeeen [ ] refer to the pages in the Itinerary, where these places
are mentioned.
HAVING faithfully accompanied the Archbishop and his crusading
attendants, through North and South Wales,
" Per invias rupes, fera per juga,
" Clivosque praeruptos, sonantes
" Inter aquas, nemorumque noctem;"
And having endeavoured, either by charts, views, or annotations,
to illustrate the biographical and local history of each person and
place, that has been mentioned during the course of the Itinerary:
I shall now, by retracing their route, fill up the shadows of the
interesting outline which Giraldus has left us.a In my introduction
1 The object of this supplement is to render the Itinerary of Giraldus an useful
guide to the modern traveller through the principality, by describing those places,
which from the nature of his tour he was necessarily obliged to omit. The reader will
perceive, that he has made several digressions in order to take an opportunity of
describing places which were remarkable either for their ecclesiastical or military his-
tory, and so far from thinking these digressions ill-timed, we have reason to regret
that they had not been more frequent.
[ 366 ]
to the History of Wales, I had occasion to state the actual situation
of the countryat the time when Baldwin made his progress through
it ; and my readers, upon a recollection of the horrid cruelties that
disgraced the annals of that period, will readily pardon a repe-
tition of them. Let us now, therefore, consider Wales in a more
pleasing point of view : its mountains crowned with many a proud
fortress ; and its vallies bedecked with many a hallowed sanctuary.
What on a modern comparison it may lose in ecclesiastical archi-
tecture, it certainly gains in military grandeur; for though the
works of Lalysb have perished, or have been disfigured by the
hand of time ; yet the splendid edifices of the royal Edward still
uprear their lofty turrets,0 and form a prominent and distinguished
feature in the character of Cambria. Each have their use and
interest ; the one will recall the attention of the traveller to the
bloody and historical annals of the country through which he is
passing; and the other will conduct him to those truly sequestered
and romantic valleys which the monks selected for their holy
offices of religion.
Hereford — At this rendezvous the crusaders met, preparatory to
the commencement of their holy legation; and returned to it after
the completion of their object.
The cathedral church, though sadly disfigured by the trowel of
modern innovation, d still affords some fine specimens of Saxon and
b Lalys was an architect brought into England by Richard de Granville in the year
11)1. See Itinerary, p. 163.
c I here allude to the stately castles of Conwy, Caernarvon, and Harlech.
4 Those, who wish to gain further information respecting the ancient front of this
cathedral, may consult Mr. Duncombe's History of Herefordshire, Vol. I. p. 527.
[ 367 ]
Gothic architecture in its eastern front and northern porch. The
series of sepulchral monuments and brasses is curious and exten-
sive, and will prove highly interesting to those who wish to study
monumental antiquities. The beautiful and perfect little oratory,
adjoining the ruins of the Black Friars in Widemarsh-street, should
not be overlooked.
On the road from Hereford to New Radnor, the traveller will
pass immediately by the Roman station of Magna, now bearing the
name of Kenchester," a particular account of which is given in my
introduction. On a well wooded eminence to the north of it, called
Credon Hill, is a fine British camp,f commanding a most delightful
and extensive view. A few miles further on the right is Foxley,
the seat of Mr. Price, (author of the treatises on the picturesque,)
where the lover of natural and unadorned scenery will be highly
recompensed for his labour in ascending his beautiful terrace, and
in penetrating the deep recesses of his luxuriant woods.
Old and New Radnor boast of no attractions. The country about
Hay is rich and variegated : the gateway of an ancient castle,
This part of the cathedral gave way on Easter Monday, A. D. 1786, and by its fall
crushed a considerable part of the nave. A fine view of it in ruins is engraved by Mr.
Byrtie in the second volume of his Antiquities; and an interesting series of four views
engraved in aquatinta from drawings by Mr. Wathen, records the magnificence of
the fine western front, which was richly decorated with Saxon ornaments. We have
to regret the destruction of a most ancient and curious Saxon chapel at Hereford, of
which a plate is given in the first volume of the Vetusta Monutnenta.
c The modern name accords well with that of Magna given to it by the Romans,
and is composed of the British word cy« great, and Chester castrum.
{ In my different journeys through Wales, I have observed that there is frequently
a British camp near a Roman station ; this is the case here as well at the Gaer near
Brecon, at the Gaer near Cwm Du, and in many other places.
[ 368 ]
and a considerable extent of the old city walls are still extant. At
a short distance from the town are the remains of Clifford castle.
The ride from Hay to Builht on the banks of the river Wye is fine ;
the ruins of Aberedow castle appearing in a pretty vale on the
right. Builht is an old fashioned town, containing nothing worthy
of note, but the site of its ancient fortress, and the mutilated
effigy of John Lhwyd, Esq. already described [19]. At a short
distance to the left of the road travelled by our crusaders from
Hay to Brecknock, a stately round turret announces the former
residence of the Clifford family, where Mahel, the unfortunate son
of Milo Earl of Hereford, lost his life [34].
Brecknock — The country and views adjoining this town claim
the attention of every admirer of picturesque scenery; and a walk
to the Roman station of Gaer, following the banks of the river
Usk through the luxuriant oak woods of Lord Camden, will by no
means be regretted. At a farm-house near the station, two of the
Roman bricks, inscribed with the name of the Leglo secunda
Augusta, are still preserved. The antiquarian should not overlook
the stone with a male and female figure sculptured upon it, which
now stands immediately upon a part of the Roman causeway
between the Gaer and Brecknock; and should he wish to pursue
his researches into British antiquities, he will find many ancient
camps on the adjacent hills. To those who delight in distant
bird's-eye views, a visit to the summit of the Van, or Cadair
Arthur, will prove highly satisfactory [65].
I would not advise the modern traveller to follow the steps of
Baldwin and Giraldus through the narrow defiles and bad pass of
Coed Grono [93], but would recommend him to take the more
[ 369 ]
practicable road through the delightful valley of Uske to Aber-
gavenny. In this tract he will find many objects to arrest his
attention : the first will be the church at Lhanhamelech, with its
ancient effigy, and the Druidical monument called Ty Hllyd on an
adjoining hill ; on the left he will have a distant view of Lhyn
Savathan, or Llangor's pool, and the trifling remains of Blaenllyfni
castle. Passing a steep hill called the Bwlch, or pass, he will leave
a Roman station, called the Gaer, in the parish of Cwm Du, at a
short distance to the left ; and soon afterwards he will see the
ruins of Tretower castle on the same side of the road ; and a British
fortress on an eminence to the right. The picturesque village of
Crick-howelh must for a short time detain him; the parish church
contains some fine old monuments ; and in the neighbourhood of
the village are the remains of a castle, and a picturesque embattled
gateway. From no spot does the vale of Usk appear to greater ad-
vantage than from Crick-howel.
Abergavenny (Gobannium] — This town and its environs have
strong claims to the traveller's attention. Its castle and delightful
terrace overlooking the rich vale of Usk, its church abounding in
costly sculptured tombs, its beautifully variegated mountains, all
conspire to render this place particularly attractive. The lofty sum-
mit of the Sugar-loaf Mountain should not remain unvisited ; nor
the rugged eminence of the Skiri Vawr. The traveller should
digress from hence, with our Archdeacon, to the solitary vale of
£ This valley may vie with all others in Wales for extent of beauty, and perhaps is
no where so much diversified as between Brecknock and Abergavenny.
h This village has derived its name from Crug Howel, the rock of Howel ; and there
is a very ancient British work upon a hill behind Crick-howel, which still bears the
same name.
VOL. II. 3 B
[ 310 ]
Hodni, where the mouldering ruins of Lanthoni abbey will strike
him with pleasure and admiration. To some persons an excursion
to the Monmouthshire hills may prove interesting, where industry
and art have, within these few years, converted a barren waste into
a scene of active and wealthy population.'
Usk (Burrium) [ 109"— The draughtsman will find some good
subjects for his pencil in the priory church, gateway, bridge, and
castle ; and the Welsh antiquarian may make his conjectures on the
inscribed brass plate in the church, which has puzzled so many of
his brethren. In the parish church of Tredonock is a Roman in-
scription dedicated to the memory of Julianas, a soldier of the
second legion.
Caerleon (Isca Silunim} [112] — Called by Giraldus Urbs Le-
gionum. Here we tread on Roman ground, and each step reminds
us of the nation that once dwelt within its walls. k In the neigh-
bourhood of the town is the picturesque old mansion of the
Herberts at St. Julian's; and a curious Saxon church at Malpas.
Newport [125] — The melancholy and dirty appearance of this
town will not long detain the tourist ; he will see the ruins of the
castle on entering the town; and on leaving it, let him not overlook
the Saxon doorway in the church of St.Wollos; and the extensive
prospect which its elevated terrace commands. On his road to
Cardiff, he will traverse a part of Tredegar park, where there is
a large old mansion house of the Morgan family ; and crossing a
bridge over the river, he will enter the county of Glamorgan.
1 1 here allude to the extensive iron works that have been established at Beaufort,
Blaen-avon, &.c.
k I shall not detain my reader with an account of this interesting city, which is
accurately described by Mr. Coxe in his Tour through Monmouthshire.
[371 ]
Cardiff, [126] — This castle, once the seat of the Norman con-
queror Fitz-Hamon, and now the property of the Marquis of Bute,
has, from modern and ill-judged innovation, lost much of its
ancient baronial grandeur : but the fine octagonal tower, the keep,
and gateway, (near which is shewn the dungeon where, according
to vulgar tradition, the unfortunate Robert was confined,) remain in
their antique state.
From this town a very pleasing digression may be made to the
singularly picturesque bridge over the river Taf, called Pont ij Pnjd
in Welsh, or the Bridge of Beauty, and in English, New Bridge; and
from thence to the stately ruins of'Caerphilly Castle :' neither must
1 It is singular that the history of this fine castle should be so little known, though
much has been said and written on the subject. Camden says, that it is of such vast
and stupendous workmanship, that it is almost universally allowed to be a Roman
work : he further adds, that it belonged to the Clares Earls of Gloucester, and in later
times to the Spencers. Mr. Daines Barrington, in his paper on the Welsh Castles,
printed in the first volume of the Archaiologia, page 288, attributes the construction
of Caerphilly castle to King Edward the First, but I cannot coincide with him in
opinion. Neither could the present ruins be of Roman construction, though on many
accounts I have reason to think there was a Roman station in its neighbourhood ; as
there are evident remains of a large causeway on the mountains near Btdwelty, point-
ing northerly towards the station of the Gaer near Brecknock, and southerly towards
Caerphilly; but whether there was an intermediate post or not at this place is at pre-
sent doubtful ; the road evidently led to the station on the river Taf, marked in the
Iter Tibia Amnis. The name also of Caer savours strongly of Roman antiquity, for in
this part of Wales in particular, the places prefixed with Caer are decidedly Roman ;
as for instance, Caerwent, Venta Silurum ; Caerleon, Isca Silurum ; Caerdiff, Tibia
Amnis; Caermarlhen, Maridnnum ; the Gaer near Brecon, the Gaer at Cwm Du, and
many similar instances may be adduced in North Wales, viz. at Caernarvon, Caer
Gai, Caer Sws. Neither does the Welsh Chronicle throw any important light on the
history of this castle : and it appears probable that modern writers have confounded
the Castell Coch, or Red Castle, with the castle of Caerphilly, (both of which were
situated in the lordship of Senghenydd,) and whose ruins are still extant.
In order, if possible, to ascertain the history of this important castle, it may be worth
[372]
the once flourishing cathedral church of Llandaff be overlooked ;
for, though sadly metamorphosed by the introduction of Italian
our while to search Into the early records of this district, as far back, at least, as the
subjugation of it by the Normans.
It appears, by the accounts given us of that transaction, that Robert Fitz-Hamon
having accomplished the object of his expedition in the conquest of Glamorgan, re-
warded the several knights his assistants with certain lordships, which they afterwards
fortified with castles. Among the rest, he considered Eynon, the Welshman, who had
first incited him to the enterprise, and gave him the mountainous district of Senghe-
nydd. It does not, however, appear that he had at that time any castle ; nor was it
likely (if there had been one) that in those doubtful days Fitz-Hamon would have en-
trusted it to so suspicious a character as Eynon, who having already betrayed his own
countrymen to him, who was a stranger, might not be very scrupulous in changing
sides, and declaring against him, if occasion should offer for so doing. We are able,
however, to ascertain for a certainty from the Welsh Chronicle, that there was after-
wards a castle in Senghenydd ; but its exact situation cannot easily be determined. I
am inclined to think it was Caste/I Cor/i, or Red Castle, the ruins of which are visible
on the well-wooded declivity of a hill in the vale of Taf, leading from Cardiff to New
Bridge. The lordship of Senghenydd continued with the descendants of Eynon, till
they were deprived of it by one of the Clares Earls of Gloucester, who then possessed
the great lordship of Glamorgan. A note taken from a MS. pedigree informs me, that
Gruffyth np Rhys, the last Welsh lord of St. Gennith, or St. Henydd, resided at Red
Castle, two miles from Cardiff, where he was besieged by Clare Earl of Gloucester ;
who having east down the tower over the gate of the castle, took him and his two sons
prisoners, put out their eyes, and starved them to death in prison. It is unfortunate
that no date is given to this transaction in the pedigree; but it could not be later than
the lime of Edward the Second ; for in the seventh year of his reign, Gilbert, the last
Earl of Gloucester of that name, was slain in Scotland, when the lordship of Senghe-
nydd devolved to Hugh le Despencer the younger, in right of his wife Eleanor, who
was eldest sister to the deceased earl. After the fatal execution of his father at Bristol,
A. D. 1326, the king, accompanied by Hugh the younger, endeavouring to make their
escape in a small vessel to Ireland, were obliged by tempestuous weather and contrary
winds to land on the coast of Glamorganshire; from whence they repaired to the abbey
of Neth, where, notwithstanding the promises of the Welsh, Hugh did not feel himself
secure; wherefore he went privately to the castle of Caerphilly, which he stoutly de-
fended against the queen's army till Easter, and then, upon terms of capitulation for
[ 373 ]
architecture within its Gothic walls, it still retains many marks
of high antiquity in its Saxon portals ; and much to be admired
his safety, rendered it up, and went back again to the king. They were soon after-
wards taken and delivered up prisoners to the queen and her son. The death of the
unfortunate monarch in Berkeley Castle has been alluded to by Gray in one of his
Odes:
Weave the warp, and weave the woof,
The winding sheet of Edward's race.
Give ample room, and verge enough
The characters of hell to trace.
Mark the year, and mark the night,
When Severn shall re-echo with affright
The shrieks of death, thro' Berk'ley's roofs that ring,
Shrieks of an agonizing king.
The death of Hugh le Despencer was signalized by every mark of infamy and
cruelty. He was executed A. D. 1326, on a gallows fifty feet high ; and, being quar-
tered, his limbs were sent to four several places, and his head to London bridge ; upon
which occasion the following distich was made :
Funis cum lignis, a te miser Ensis et ignis,
Hugo, securis Equus, abstulit omne clecus.
The rope because he was drawn with it:
The wood, because he was hanged thereon :
The sword, because he was beheaded therewith :
The fire, because his bowels were burnt .
The ax, because he was quartered therewith :
The horse, because he drew him.
By his widow Eleanor he had one son, named Hugh, who died without issue, leaving
Edward his nephew, his son and heir. Edward departed this life in his castle at Cardiff
49 Edw. III. (a great baron and a good knight, quoth Froissard,) and was buried at
Tewkesbury. Elizabeth his wife, daughter of Bartholomew de Burghersh, surviving
him, had for her dowry an assignation of the castle and town of Caerphilly, the terri-
tory of Sengh (Senghenydd) above and below Taugh (Taf ).
I am inclined to think that this stately castle was built by the Clare family, and that
[374 ]
in its beautifully sculptured tombs of alabaster [138]. Both the
artist and the mechanic will be compensated by an extension of
their ride along the vale of the river Taf to the iron works at
Merthyr Tydvil.
From Cardiff let us proceed to Cowbridge, a fit station for those
whose antiquarian curiosity may lead them to visit the numerous
Norman castles with which Glamorganshire abounds. Of these
Saint Donats far exceeds the rest in extent and interest. It was
granted by Fitz-Hamon to William de Esterling, or Stradling, in
reward of military service, and continued for above six hundred
years in the possession of that family; many of whose noble achieve-
ments are recorded by monumental tablets in the parish church.
This building is prettily situated in a sequestered vale : above it
the castle rears its head in a commanding situation, overlooking the
Bristol channel, and the distant hills of Somerset and Devon. Its
it afterwards was enlarged and fitted up, in the magnificent style now pourtrayed to
us, by the Despencers.
Camden says, that Caerphilly was not known before the time of Edward the Second :
" Nee enim a nostris meinoratur ante Edwardi II. tempora." It is therefore probable
that the Senghennydd Castle mentioned in the Welsh Chronicles was the Castell
Cocfi, which stood equally within the hundred of Senghennyd.
The first mention of this castle in the Welsh Chronicle is in the year 1215, when
young Rhys " tooke his journie to Senghennydd, where the garrison which laie there
burnt the towne and departed."
In the year 121? it was committed by Reginald de Braose to the custody of Rhys
Vychan, who levelled it to the ground. Between the years 1221 and 1223, we find
that John de Braose, by the consent of Prince Lhewelyn, fortified Senghennydd
castle.
Mr. Harris, in his Dissertation on the Welsh Antiquities, (Archaiologia, Vol. II.
p. 1 1,) says, that in the ancient Welsh manuscripts it was styled the Blue Castle: and
Camden says, that it derived the name of Caerphyli from Kaer and Vyli, the genitive
of Vwl, or Fid.
[ 375 ]
original plan may, in a great measure, be traced amidst its mo-
dern alterations : the watch tower, and barracks, adjoining the
castle, remain in a more perfect state than the other parts of the
building.
In his road from Cowbridge to St. Donats, the traveller should
not omit Llantwit, a place celebrated in British history for having
been the seat of a college founded by St. Iltutus, and worthy of no-
tice in modern times, on account of the very ancient sepulchral
stones that are preserved in its church-yard. From St. Donats
he may proceed along the coast to Dunraven, an old seat of the
Wyndham family, (near which place are some curious caverns), and
rejoin the turnpike road at Ewenny.
Here again we must make a short digression to pay our devo-
tions at the little cell of Ewenny [147], where every lover of
Saxon antiquity will be highly gratified in viewing the simple and
original architecture of its church, such probably as it was in the
days of Giraldus. May the Norman owner of Ewenny m take com-
passion on this hallowed edifice erected by his kinsman ! may he
restore its mouldering walls and tottering roof! and may he exalt
the neglected tomb of its founder, to that dignified situation, which
its high antiquity so justly merits!
Pursuing the track of our crusaders, we now reach Margan, a
village most delightfully situated under a magnificent and perpen-
dicular wood of oak, and abounding in monastic antiquities [151].
But, alas ! the chapter-house, that justly admired Gothic gem, is
n Mr. Turberville, a descendant of the Norman knight of that name, who was re-
warded by Robert Fitz-Hamon with the lordship of Coity for his military services in
the conquest of Glamorgan.
[ 376 ]
now no more ; n and the future tourist may exclaim with too much
reason and regret, " Slat nominis umbra." The exterior facade of
the parish church presents a fine specimen of Norman architecture,
and the interior contains many costly tombs. The conservatory
and orangerie of Mr. Talbot should not be overlooked.
From Margan our crusaders passed through the village of Aber-
avon, and over a dangerous tract of sand to Swansea; but we must
diverge to Neth, and not suffer the beautiful scenery around
Breton ferry to pass unnoticed. The history of Neth, its abbey,
and castle, have already been given in the Itinerary [162], but
some other objects in its neighbourhood merit the traveller's atten-
tion. To the north of Neth, there are several waterfalls worthy of
notice ; and in the same direction a long extent of the Roman cause-
way, leading from the station of JVidus, or Neth, to that of the
Gaer near Brecknock, is visible.
Rejoining our crusaders at Swansea, [ 1 65] we will proceed with them
to Lochor, (near which place was the Roman station of Leucarum),
leaving the large promontory of Gower land on our left.0 A dreary
and uninteresting road will now conduct us to Kidwelly [171],
where there are considerable remains of a very fine castle. From
thence we shall continue our route towards Caermarthen, ferrying
first over the river Towy, and afterwards over the Tave, and visit-
ing in our journey the castles of Lanstephan and Langharne [177] ;
we shall not find much to detain us within the town of Caermarthen
n By the expression (no more) I mean to say thai all that rendered it interesting
perished, when the clustered shaft supporting its groined roof fell to the ground.
0 Gower land, owing to the want of inns and other necessary accommodations, has
not been often visited : it contains some Druidical remains, and the ruins of castles at
Oystermouth, Penrice, and Webley.
[377 ]
(Maridunum) : but we must make from hence an excursion to Llan-
dilo, and visit the royal palace at Dinevor [180], and the British
fortress of Carreg Kennen. In this journey we must follow the
northern banks of the Towy to Llandilo, and return to Carmarthen
by the southern. The traveller who wishes to see this fine vale to
advantage must observe these directions : he will pass by Golden
Grove, lately the seat of Mr. Vaughan, but now belonging to Lord
Cawdor, a spot commanding every requisite beauty in point of
situation, yet possessing none:? he will then mount the summit of
a hill, very appropriately called Golwg ij byd, or the Sight of the
World; from whence he will enjoy a most comprehensive view of
the beautiful Vale of Towy one side, and of a most extensive tract
of country on the other, in which the rugged eminence of Carreg
Kennen forms a very conspicuous feature : on descending the hill,
he will find the view towards Dinevor highly pleasing. The next
object of attraction will be Drusslyn Castle, of whose history I can
gain but little information. Dugdale, in his Baronage, Vol. I. p. 392,
records that in 12 Edward II. Hugh le Despencer was constituted
governor of the castles of Drosselan and Dynevor, in Wales.
Its situation is singularly bold, and its summit commands a most
advantageous view of the vale of Towy, which in the opinion of
P I here allude to the site of the mansion house, which is placed in a low situation,
and surrounded with modern and formal plantations, whilst the higher grounds in the
park comprehend in one point of view an unrivalled assemblage of the most beautiful
and classical scenery. In the front stands Grongar hill, which has been celebrated by
the poet Dyer; to the right are the luxuriant woods of Newton Park overtopped by the
proud ruins of Dinevor; and to the left, the bold fortress of Drusslyn rears its insu-
lated head in the narrowest part of one of the most luxuriant vales in Europe. Who
does not envy such a situation for a residence ? and who would not avail himself of it?
VOL. II. 3 C
[ 378 ]
many, stands unequalled in South Wales, though it has a most
powerful rival, I think, in the vale of Usk. Having surveyed in
two different points of view, the most beautiful part of this val-
ley, the traveller may proceed on his journey, unless, before he
quits Caermarthen, he should wish to pay a tribute of admiration to
the sepulchral effigy of the valiant Sir Thomas ap Rhys, and drop a
tear of gratitude over the neglected grave of Sir Richard Steele
[178]. If on his road to Narbeth, his curiosity should lead him to
explore the cloistered recesses of the Cistercian monks of Alba
domus, he must diverge a little to the right into the well wooded
vale of Whitland [185]. From Narbeth, where there are the ruins
of a castle, I strongly recommend a ride to a picturesque valley in
its neighbourhood, watered by the river Cledheu, and crowned by
the towers of Lawhaden castle [186]. From Caermarthen, our cru-
saders took the direct road to Haverfordwest ; but many important
objects oblige us to deviate from their route, and make a very con-
siderable digression towards the sea coast : by so doing the traveller
will have no reason to regret the loss either of antiquities or fine
q I could almost imagine that our poet Dyer had taken the following description of
the vale of Towy from this eminence :
" Ever charming, ever new,
When will the landscape tire the view ?
The fountain's fall, the river's flow,
The woody vallies, warm and low,
The windy summit, wild and high,
Roughly rushing on the sky !
The pleasant seat, the ruin'd tower,
The naked rock, the shady bower,
The town and village, dome and farm,
Each give each a double charm,
As pearls upon an CEthiop's arm." Dyer, Grongar Hill.
[ 379 ]
scenery, for the road between Narbeth and Haverfordwest affords
nothing particularly interesting in its immediate track. Slebach
and Picton castle must not however be overlooked ; but they may
be easily visited either from Narbeth or Haverfordwest. r
We shall now continue our journey to Tenbigh, a place une-
qualled in Wales (or perhaps I might add, in England), for the
beauty of its bay, and excellence of its sea bathing; to these advan-
tages it adds much fine natural scenery, and many other objects
worthy of remark. Its castle stands on a bold point projecting into
the sea; and its church and adjoining buildings contain several
curious tombs, and examples of singular architecture.
From hence we must proceed to Pembroke, making during our
route two digressions ; the one to the stately ruins of Manorbeer
castle [214], the ancient residence of the Barri family, and the
birth place of Giraldus ; and another to the episcopal residence of
the bishops of St. David's at Lantphey court. Though not imme-
diately on the road leading to Pembroke, the village of Carew is
not far to the right, where the tourist will meet with much satis-
faction in viewing the remains of a magnificent castle, a British
cross in fine preservation, and many rich sepulchral monuments.
' Slebach — Wigo and Walter his son having given lands here to the knights of St.
John of Jerusalem, for the recovery of the Holy Land, a preceptory of their order was
settled here before A. D. 1301 : for then occurs, " Will, de Totlleshall prior hospitalis
S1. Joannis Jerusalem in Anglia. et praeceptor de Slebach." It was endowed at the
dissolution with 21 ll. 9s. llrf. per annum in the whole, and 184/. 10s. lid. clear,
and granted with several other things in these parts to Roger and Thomas Barlow.
Tanner Notitia Monastica, Pembrokeshire.
In the parish church is a richly sculptured monument of the Barlow family.
Picton castle, the seat of Lord Milford, though in some degree modernized, still
bears many marks of baronial antiquity.
[ 380 ]
Pembroke [212] is our next station; a town rendered interesting
to the antiquarian by the remains of its noble castle, its city walls,
gates, and priory. From this place several excursions may be
made : to Lawreny and Benton castle, up the river ; and to the new
town of Milford and Pille priory on the Haven. f To those who
profess themselves admirers of the grander features of nature, and
more particularly to the artist ; I would recommend a pilgrimage
to St. Gowen's chapel and well ; for sublimer cliffs of rock are no
where to be found. Lord Cawdor's seat at Stackpole Court, and the
cross-legged knight1 in the adjoining parish church of Cheriton may
be visited on the road.
Haverfordwest [194] — After a most interesting digression, we
rejoin the crusaders at Haverfordwest :u a town rendered extremely
picturesque by the ruins of the castle, which overhangs it ; the
deserted priory at a short distance from the town must also be
visited. From hence let us continue our route with them to the
hallowed shrine of St. David, taking notice of Roch castle x on the
right, and the romantic little harbour of Solvach on the left of our
road. On this devotional journey we must consider ourselves as
s Adam de Rupe, or de la Roche, founded a priory here about the year 1200, and
filled it with monks of the order of Tyrone, who became afterwards Benedictines. See
the grants of Adam and Thomas de Rupe in Dugdale's Mouasticon, Tom. I. p. 10\Q,
in which it is called Prioratus de Pulla.
1 This cross-legged knight is supposed to commemorate Elidore de Stackpole, who
is mentioned in the Itinerary, Vol. I.'p. 205.
" The crusaders proceeded in a direct line from Caermarthen to Haverfordwest,
though Giraldus took the opportunity of digressing, in order to describe Pembroke
and his geniale solum at Manorbeer.
* This castle belonged to the family de Rupe, one of whom has an effigy erected to
him in Langham church.
[ 381 ]
pilgrims, and be contented with their hard and abstemious fare ;
for no luxuries, and scarcely even necessary comforts of life can be
found within these mitred walls. So minute a detail has been
given in my Itinerary [Vol. II. p. 9] of this bishopric and its appen-
dant buildings, that I shall proceed without delay through the
district of Kemeys to Cardigan. We must necessarily pass through
Fishguard, where there is a curious tombstone in the church yard;
its harbour is picturesque, and the valley of the little river Gwayn
abounds in pleasing scenery. ?
At Newport there are considerable remains of a large castle
built by the Martins Lords of Kemeys [II. 40] ; also a small Druid-
ical cromlech. The church of Nevern [II. 44], (of which I have
given an engraved plate in the Itinerary), with its well preserved
British cross, deserves notice ; on a hill above the church is the site
of the Cast rum de Lanhever mentioned by Giraldus. The tradition
of this Iter of Baldwin is still commemorated by the name of a
bridge over the river Duad, called Pont Baldwin. On a hill near
the village of Pentre Evan, are the finest Druidical remains now
existing in Wales ; and there is another fine cromlech called Llech
y drybed on the sea coast between Nevern and Cardigan.
Cardigan [II. 52] — From this place we must visit the ruins of St.
Dogmael's abbey [II. 45], which still retains a venerable monastic
appearance from the aged trees that surround it. Neither the castle,
priory, nor town of Cardigan afford any subjects for admiration;
but an excursion by water when the tide is up the river, to Cilgarran
castle, will amply compensate the traveller for all the dreary tract
i The port at which the French landed their forces on the Welsh coast is at a short
distance from Fishguard.
[ 382 ]
of country he has lately traversed : for a more striking assem-
blage of natural and artificial beauties can no where be met with
[II. 58].
The ride up the vale of Tivy to Newcastle Emlyn is highly
pleasing ; and no part of it so much so, as the beautiful retirement
of St. Ludoc at Kenarth. The ruins at Newcastle Emlyn, and the
very singular windings of the river Tivy, as seen from its site, are
worthy of remark [II. 65].
The country between this place and Lanpeder, the Pons Stephani
of Giraldus, becomes less interesting in point of natural scenery;
but the antiquarian will have a wide field of inquiry open to him,
in the numerous ancient encampments which crown the summits
of many of the neighbouring hills. From Pons Stephani, or Lan-
beder, the Archbishop and his attendants proceeded to the cele-
brated Cistercian monastery of Strata Jlorida, or Stratflur, passing
through an ancient Roman station at Llanio isau,z situated on the
north-west banks of the Tivy, which however Giraldus has not
noticed. They passed the night at Stratflur, and on the following
morning returned to the sanctuary of Landewi Brevi, and from
thence to the church of Saint Paternus at Lhanpadarn Vawr, near
Aberystwith, where they rested the night. The modern tourist
might vary this route to his advantage, by following the eastern
banks of the Tivy to Landewi Brevi (where he will see some
curious British inscriptions). [II. 71] and then crossing the river
of Llanio isau and Tregaron. From this place, he may visit
the remains of Stratflur abbey [II. 66], where he will neither
find a Cistercian monk to receive him within his refectory ; nor
* An account of this Roman station is given in the Introduction.
[ 383 ]
abandon him guideless to the dangerous wilds of the surrounding
mountains." From Stratflur, he will have a most dreary tract of
country to traverse (still in our days deserving the character of
rudeness attributed to it in former times) ,b to the only hospitium
which the country affords, viz. the Havod Arms near the Devil's
Bridge. A day or two will be agreeably spent, in surveying the
romantic grounds of Mr. Johnes, and those immediately adjoining
the inn ; where the active traveller must descend by a difficult
and slippery path to the lower water-falls. In short, he will here
find a paradise in the midst of a desart ; for nothing can be more
dreary and unforbidding, than the general aspect of the surround-
ing country. From Havod, he will descend through the vale of
the Rhydol to Aberystwith, passing by the church of Saint Pater-
nus at Lhanpadarn Vawr [II. 76]. The sea-port of Aberystwith
merits a transient visit; its castle stands boldly situated on a com-
manding eminence, and the space within the ancient fortifications
has been laid out into walks for the accommodation of the public.
This fortress was deemed of so much importance in former times,
that its possession was frequently disputed by the Welsh and Eng-
lish. It is said to have been rebuilt by King Edward in the year
a During the period of the controversy hetween Giraldus and the Archbishop of
Canterbury, an order was issued by the Earl of Essex to the Abbot of Whitland, de-
siring him not to admit the Archdeacon within his convent; but his power did not
extend to that of Stratflur, so far as to seclude him entirely ; but he gave orders that
he should be received there in the most ordinary manner ; and that no guide should
be allowed to conduct him over the dreary tract of mountains which surround that
abbey.
b The passage of these mountains was considered so dangerous in the days of King
Edward the First, that he ordered the highways to be repaired, and the forests to be
cut down. See Itin. Vol. II. p. 67.
[384 ]
1277 ;c but I should rather think it was only repaired, as the ruins
that remain do not bespeak the costly architecture of that monarch.
NORTH WALES.
FROM Lhanpadarn Vawr, our crusaders directed their course to the
river Dovey, which forms the boundary between the northern and
southern divisions of the principality. They ferried over this river
at a place called Aberdovey, and proceeded along the coast to
Towyn [II. 79], where they slept. I would recommend the modern
tourist to go from Aberystwith to Machynlleth, and examining in
his way the Roman station at Penalt, rejoin his companions at
Towyn ; or, indeed, as this place is neither remarkable in point of
situation, or antiquities, he might totally omit it, and continue his
journey from Machynlleth to Dolgelley : at all events, should his
enthusiastic ardour induce him to follow the steps of the Archbishop
to Towyn; I must insist upon his leaving the Prelate to pursue
the dreary road along the sea- coast to Barmouth ; and to take him-
self the more mountainous track near the pretty lakes of Tal y
Llyn, and under the majestic base of Cadair Idris, to Dolgelley, in
c A. D. 1277, Rex Edwardus castrum construxit insigne apud Llanpeder ad cohi-
bendas Wallorum irruptiones. Leland Collect. Tom. I. p. 177.
By Llanpeder is meant Lhanpadarn Vawr, which is the parish church of Aber-»
ystwith.
[ 385 ]
which route he will see some of the grandest scenery in North
Wales.
Dolgelley. — Here we must halt for a few days ; for I know of no
place in the principality, from whence so many pleasing and inte-
resting excursions may be made ; and where nature bears so rich,
so varied, and so grand an aspect. The ride from Dolgelley to Dinas
y Mowddu, and from thence to Bala over the mountains, and back
through the vale in which the river Dee takes its rise, affords much
fine scenery. At the upper end of the lake of Bala is the Roman sta-
tion ofCaer Gai, situated on a gentle eminence close to the road side.
Another excursion to the falls of the Maw and Eden will be highly
interesting ; and the ruins of Kemmer abbey may be visited in the
way to the water-falls. This abbey, of which there are consider-
able remains in the valley close to Llaneltid bridge, has been con-
founded, even by Dugdale, with an abbey in Radnorshire called
Cwmhir. It was inhabited by Cistercian monks, and founded by
Meredyth and Gruffydh, the sons of Conan and Gruffydh, about
the year 1198, whose grants were confirmed in the most strict and
ample manner by Lhewelyn in the year 1209. Dugdale has been
unusually inaccurate in his account of this abbey ; for he at first
states it as Abballa in agro Penbrochlensi ; then gives an account of
Comehere, as situated in Radnorshire ; afterwards the confirmation
of the grant of Lhewelyn to the abbey of Kemmer, and then the
confirmation of the grant by King Henry which belongs to the
abbey of Cwmhir in Radnorshire. The lofty summit of Cadair
Idris (which is more accessible than Snowdon, and, I have heard,
as interesting) must not remain unnoticed ; the drive from Dolgelley
to Barmouth may boast of natural beauties far superior to any
VOL. ii. 3 D
[ 386 ]
thing in this neighbourhood ; but to see it to advantage, the travel-
ler must wait with patience till the tide comes up the river. The
village of Barmouth, from its very singular structure and situa-
tion, cannot fail to excite the surprise of the beholder.
From Barmouth we shall proceed along the sea-coast, with our
crusaders, to Lanvair and Harlech [II. 85]. The objects worthy of
notice on this road, are the church of Llanaber; the ancient man-
sion-house of Corsygedol (formerly belonging to the Vaughan, but
now to the Mostyn family), where there are some landscapes by
the celebrated painter Wilson; and the parish church of Llanend-
dwyn, which contains many sepulchral memorials to the family of
Vaughan. At Harlech, our attention will be forcibly arrested by
the sight of King Edward's noble castle; for the architecture and
situation give us every reason to attribute its construction to his
royal hand. From hence we must make a digression to Maentwrog?
cither by a rough and interesting mountain road, or by a passage
over the sands called Traeth Bach.d
On arriving at the comfortable little inn at Tanybwlch, the
traveller will find himself on Syren ground, and surrounded on all
sides by the most luxuriant and romantic scenery. Let not the
artist neglect seeing a cascade called Rhaiader-du, or the black
water-fall, which unites all the beautiful compounds for a picture
of pleasing and unaffected nature.
From Tanybwlch, we must pursue a grand Alpine course to the
' I strongly recommend the former, which will conduct the traveller by the two
pretty lakes of Llyntecwyn; and on descending to Maentwrog, he will enjoy a most
delightful view of the beautiful vale of Festiniog; but should he prefer crossing the
sands, an experienced guide will be absolutely necessary.
[387 ]
Devil's bridge at Pont Aberglaslyn; from whence, changing the
direction of our route, we must descend to the Traeth Mawr, or
great sands, from whose level bed there is a most advantageous
view of the Snowdon mountains.0 At the little village of Penmorfa,
we may perhaps overtake the crusaders, and continue our journey
with them (near the bold ruins of Criccieth castle) f to Pwlheli and
Nevyn [II. 89].
From this miserable village, we shall be glad to make an hasty
departure, and proceed on our journey through Clynnog Vawr to
Caernarvon. Some objects worthy of remark occur on this road.
The first is a valley called JVant y Gwrlheyrn, or the Valley of
Vortigern, whither that prince is said to have sought an asylum
e From these sands the view engraven for this Itinerary was taken.
f I find no mention made of this castle in the Welsh Chronicle, at least under the
name it now bears. Mr. Pennant informs us, that after the conquest of Wales, King
Edward appointed William de Leybourn to be constable of it, with a salary of 100/.
per annum; for which he was obliged to maintain a garrison of thirty stout men (ten
of whom were to be cross-bow men), one chaplain, one surgeon, one carpenter, and
one mason. Sebright MSS.
Sir Howel y Fwyall, a descendant of Collwyn ap Tangno, was also constable of this
castle. He attended the Black Prince in the battle of Poitiers, and behaved, on that
memorable occasion with distinguished valour; for the prince not only bestowed upon
him the constableship of the castle, which he afterwards made his residence, but
knighted him ; and in perpetual memorial of his good services, ordered that a mess of
meat should be served up before the pole-axe, with which he performed suih great
feats, for which reason he bore it in his coat of arms, and was styled Sir Howel y
Fwyall, or Sir Howel of the Axe: after the mess had appeared before the knight, it
was carried down and bestowed on the poor. Eight yeomen attendants were appointed
to guard the mess, and had eight pence a day, constant wages, at the king's charge;
and those under the name of yeomen of the crown, were continued on the establish-
ment till the reign of Queen Elizabeth. After the death of Sir Howel, the mess was
carried as before, and bestowed on the poor for the sake of his soul. Pennant, Vol. II.
p. 193.
[ 388 ]
against the persecution of his subjects. Mr. Pennant, Vol. II. p. 204,
has pictured this retreat in the most animated colours. " Fancy
cannot frame a place more fit for a retreat from the knowledge of
mankind, or more apt to inspire one with full hopes of security
from any pursuit. Embosomed in a lofty mountain, on two sides
bounded by stoney steeps, on which no vegetables appear, but the
blasted heath and stunted gorse: the third side exhibits a most
tremendous front of black precipice, with the loftiest peak of the
mountain Eifl soaring above; and the only opening towards this
secluded spot is the sea; a northern aspect! where that chilling
wind exerts all its fury, and half freezes, during the winter, the
few inhabitants. Till the beginning of the last century, a tumulus
was to be seen here, which was known by the name of Bedd
Gwrlheyrn, or the Grave of VorL'igtrn ; tradition having regularly
delivered down the report of this having been the place of his
interment."
The next place worthy of remark on this road, is Clynnog Vawr,
where there is one of the largest and handsomest churches in
Wales, dedicated to Saint Beuno ; a saint much distinguished for
his miraculous gills. In the year 616, he founded a college at
Clynnog in Arvon. The next object of attraction is a fine encamp-
ment called Dinas Dinlle, in a commanding situation on the sea-
coast. A great part of the hill which it encircles, has been worn
away by the washing of the waves. Some writers suppose it to
have been a Roman post, and affirm that coins of that people have
been found there.
The town and antiquities of Caernarvon have been already
described in the Itinerary [II. 92]. A long digression will be
©
©
[ 389 ]
absolutely necessary from this place, for without it, much of the
most striking scenery of North Wales will remain unseen. I
would first direct my course towards Bedgelert, passing by the
beautiful lake called Llyn Cywellyn, and under the foot of Snow-
don. To the westward of this lake are two other pools called Llyn-
niau Nantlle, from which Wilson made a fine picture of Snowdon,
and Woollett as fine an engraving. Those who wish to ascend
Snowdon, will find a guide resident in a cottage near Llyn Cywel-
lyn. A little further, on the right hand of the road, is a small lake
called Llyn y dtjivarchen, or the lake of the sod, where a floating
island, similar to the one described by Giraldus, still retains its
miraculous appearance.
From the beautifully retired village of Bedgelert, I would visit
the prophetic hill of Dinas Emrys [II. 125], and passing near the
fine lakes of Llyn y Dinas and Gwynedd, pursue the Alpine road
to Capel Cerrig ; from whence the highest point of Snowdon ap-
pears very conspicuous, and to greater advantage than from any
other spot. From Capel Cerrig, I would return to Caernarvon by
Lanberris lakes, and Dolbadern castle ; and I am sure every tourist
will pardon me for having recommended so long and arduous a
digression ; for by encircling Snowdon, he will have had an oppor-
tunity of examining its sublime and majestic features in the most
advantageous point of view.
Leaving Caernarvon, an excursion must be made by water to
Plas Newydd in Anglesey, the seat of Lord Uxbridge, not forget-
ing to see the very fine Cromlech in his park. The aquatic expe-
dition may be continued to -Banger ferry; from whence a second
visit must be paid to the isle of Mona ; for the town of Beaumaris
[ 390 ]
with its spacious castle [II. 115], and the beautiful grounds of Lord
Bulkeley at Baron Hill, deserve our notice ; as from these environs
you see the whole range of the Snowdon mountains in the most
favourable point of view, and can judge of the relative height they
bear to each other.
From Beaumaris, a visit may be made to Amlwch, from which
place the Paris Mountain may be conveniently viewed ; an object
which will prove highly satisfactory to the mineralogist, and the
lover of picturesque scenery. Much remains to be investigated
within the island of Anglesey; particularly as to the Druidical
remains, with which it abounds.
We must now return to the town of Bangor [II. 95], from whence
another long digression is necessary, to the Slate quarries and Llyn
Ogwen. It might perhaps be advisable to continue the ride to
Capel Cerrig, and from thence by Dolwyddelan castle into the vale
of the Conwy by Bettws, where there are some ancient tombs in
the parish church. Following the vale and river, we shall approach
the beautiful village of Llanrwst, under the towering and luxuriant
woods of Gwedir.s
The bridge*1 at Llanrwst, and the monuments and brasses in its
church, must be attended to; and if time permit, it may be worth
while to ride a few miles on the London road, in order to look
down on the fine view which the rich vale of Conwy presents.
* Gwedir was the ancient seat of the Wynne family, which now by marriage has
become the property of Sir Peter Burrell, who has the title of Gwedir conferred upon
him.
h This bridge, which has generally claimed Inigo Jones for its architect, is so pecu-
liarly constructed as to shake, whenever a person pushes his back against the centre
stone.
[391 ]
In our way to Conwy we shall pass close to the Roman station of
Conoviutn at Caer Hen. Though there is a mountain road leading
from hence to Aber, that would bring us back into the track of our
crusaders, arid conduct us to Conwy over the terrific pass of
Pen-rriaen-mawr, it would perhaps be more advisable to pursue the
direct road from Caer Hen to Conwy, and to make a separate ex-
cursion from that place to Pen-maea-mawr.
Conwy, though avoided by Baldwin, must not remain unnoticed
by us ; its strongly embattled town and castle recall to our memory
the warlike days of our royal Edward : and the natural scenery
that surrounds them, so beautifully combined with the noblest
castle of the Principality, form a tout ensemble, not to be surpassed.
The present castle and town, of which so many grand remains
are still existing, owe their construction to King Edward the First,
who in the year 1284 erected this stately edifice; and about the
same time marked out the limits of the adjoining town, and sur-
rounded it with a strong inclosure of stone walls. There was
probably a British fortress near the same spot, for the Welsh
histories mention a castle in Snowdon. Leland says, that in the
year 1284, the abbey of Aberconwy was removed to another place,
and a strong fortress erected on its site, in order to restrain the
hostile irruptions of the Welsh.
In describing Conwy, Mr. Pennant very justly observes, " that
a more ragged town within, or a more beautiful one without, is
scarcely to be seen." To say merely that Conwy Castle is a majestic
pile of building, boldly situated on a rock, and washed by a noble
river,- would be giving but a faint and inadequate description of the
place; it presents so many concomitant beauties, that the artist's
[ 392 ]
best effort will be required to delineate them. The town is built
within the precincts of the ancient walls, which remain in a good
state of preservation with their original gate-ways, fortified at
intervals by round towers. On the northern side of the castle an
extensive range of eight of them appears to great advantage. I have
seen no town where the military works of art are so happily
blended with the picturesque features of nature; and no spot
which the artist will at first sight view with greater rapture, or quit
with greater reluctance.
The promontory of Landidno, with the old mansions of the
Mostyn family at Gloddaeth and Bodscallan should not be over-
looked.
The crusaders crossed the river Conwy under the ancient for-
tress of Deganwy [II. 137], and proceeded on their journey towards
Ruthlan and Saint Asaph, of which places a particular account has
been given in my Itinerary [II. HI and 144]. From St. Asaph a
pleasing excursion may be made up the vale of Clwyd to Denbigh
and Ruthyn, each of which towns have the remains of castles. The
former, distinguished for its elevated and commanding situation,
bore in ancient times the British name of Castell Kledvryn yn
Rhos, or the craggy hill in Rhos. The modern name of Denbech
signifies a small hill, which it is, when compared to the neigh-
bouring mountains. After the subjugation of Wales by King
Edward, the lordship of Denbigh was bestowed upon Henry Lacy
Earl of Lincoln, who built the castle and the town walls. On the
death of Lacy it passed to Thomas Earl of Lancaster by virtue of
his marriage with Alicia, daughter of the last possessor. In conse-
quence of his attainder, Edward II. bestowed it on Hugh d'Espencer,
[ 393 ]
after whose fatal death it reverted to the crown, and was given
by Edward III. to another favourite equally unfortunate, Roger
Mortimer Earl of March, whose death enabled the king to invest
William Montacute Earl of Salisbury with this lordship. He died
A. D. 1333, and on the reversal of the attainder of the Earl of
March, it was restored to his family ; and by a marriage of a female
relation with Richard Plantagenet Earl of Cambridge, it came
into the house of York, and devolved to the crown. Queen Eliza-
beth in 1563 bestowed it on Robert Dudley Earl of Leicester, who
soon made the country feel the weight of his oppression. Pennant,
Vol. II. p. 38.
The Welsh name of Ruthyn is Castell Coch yn Gwernvor. King
Edward the First built the castle whose ruins we now survey, and
bestowed it in 1 28 1 , with the cantref of Dyffryn Clwyd, on Regi-
nald de Grey, for which he in 1301 did homage at Chester to
Edward of Caernarvon, then Prince of Wales. Pennant, Vol. II.
p. 60.
Our next station will be Holywell, where having offered our
devotions to the Saint of the well, who still seems to retain her
miraculous powers,' we may examine the ruins of the cell of
Basinwerk [II. 153], and the termination of Wat's Dyke.
1 The history of St. Winefrede is given at large by Mr. Pennant, Vol. II. p. 30. —
A pamphlet has lately appeared, entitled " Authentic documents relative to the mira-
culous cure of Winefred White, of the town of Wolverhampton, at Holywell in
Flintshire, on the 28th of June, 1805; with observations thereon by I. M. &c. ;" in
which numerous testimonies are given by medical and other eye witnesses of the most
astonishing cures effected by once bathing in the Saint's well." Of these I shall select
only one as a specimen: "I hereby declare, that about three months ago I saw a
young woman, calling herself Winefred White, walking with great difficulty on a
crutch; and that, on the following morning, the said Winefred White came to me
VOL. II. 3 E
[394 ]
As the two dykes of Offa and Wat have been frequently con-
founded and mistaken for each other, I shall take this opportunity
of collecting the information of various authors upon the subject ;
amongst whom Mr. Pennant stands foremost in the list of those
who have examined the course of these two curious fragments of
antiquity.
Offa's Dyke — The Welsh Chronicle informs us, that in the year
763, Offa was made King of Mercia ;k that in 776, the men of South
Wales destroyed a great part of Mercia with fire and sword, and that
in the following summer the Welshmen gathered themselves toge-
ther, and, entering the kingdom of Mercia, did much hurt there.
The Saxons also, who dwelt on the borders of Cambria, incroached
so much upon the territories of the Welsh beyond the Severn, that
running and without any appearance of lameness, having, as she told me, been imme-
diately cured ofler once bathing in St. Winefrid's well. Signed, Eliz. Jones. Dated
Holywell, Sept. 30, 1805."
The author of the pamphlet makes the following remark on the various testimonies
he had received in corroboration of the miracle: "The witnesses speak of facts,
which, however contrary to the established laws of nature, were such as they were
compelent to judge of, being such as fell immediately under the cognizance of their
senses. They saw a person distorted from a curvated spine, and half dead from a
paralytic side, crawling on a crutch, with every symptom of a most excruciating and
desperate malady ; and they saw this same person standing erect, walking and running
vigourously and nimbly, with all the demonstrations of perfect health, within a short
space of lime, that is to say, some of them within the course of a month, some within
the space of a day, some of two or three hours, and some of as many minutes."
A miracle worthy of the pen of my friend Giraldus!
k Offa succeeded on the death of Ethelbald to the sovereignty of the kingdom of
Mercia, which was esteemed the largest of the Saxon divisions, and, according to
Cainden, contained the counties of Gloucester, Hereford, Worcester, Warwick,
Leicester, Rutland, Northampton, Lincoln, Huntingdon, Bedford, Buckingham, Ox-
ford, Stafford, Derby, Salop, and Chester.
[ 395 ]
they had gotten much of it into their hands, especially toward the
southern part of the country. Wherefore the Welsh put themselves
in armour, and set upon the Saxons, and drove them across the
Severn, returning home with great plunder; and this they did
oftentimes, killing and destroying all before them, and always
bringing home with them much cattle; upon which OflTa con-
cluded a peace with the other Saxon kings, that he might employ
his whole force against the Welsh. Whereupon he caused a great
ditch to be made, large and deep, from sea to sea, betwixt his king-
dom and Wales, whereby he might better defend his country from
the incursions of the Welshmen. Mr. Pennant has given the fol-
lowing detailed account of its course, Vol. I. p. 273. " Offa's dyke
extended from the river Wye, along the counties of Hereford and
Radnor,1 into that of Montgomery, where I shall take it up at its
entrance into North Wales at Pwll y Piod, an alehouse on the road
between Bishop's castle and Newtown ; from thence it passes north-
ward near Mellington hall, near which is an encampment called
Caer-din, by Brompton mill, where there is a mount; Lymore
1 It is much to be regretted, that the southerly course of this celebrated dyke should
be so little known. At Knighton in Radnorshire it is not only ascertained by the
British name of Tref y clawd, or the township upon the ditch, but also by evident
remains of the dyke itself. I have been told, that it is again visible at Almeley in
Herefordshire, and that the road leading from Hereford to Hay traverses it near
Bridge Sellers. The general idea of the old writers is, that it went from the sea-coast
of Flintshire to the mouth of the Wye on the Bristol channel; and some modern
writers have erroneously supposed, that some earthen works near Tiddenharn formed
a part of the dyke; but as no positive traces of it have been ascertained south of
Hereford, it is possible that, as at Buttington in Montgomeryshire, the river Severn
was taken as its boundary, so the river Wye might have served the same purpose in
Herefordshire and Monmouthshire.
[ 396 ]
park near Montgomery, Forden heath, Nant cribba at the foot of
an ancient fortress, Layton hall and Buttington church. There it is
lost for five miles ; the channel of the Severn serving probably for
that space, as a continuation of this famous boundary, which, just
below the conflux of the Bele and the Severn, appears again, and
passes by the churches of Llandysilio and Llanymynech to the edge
of a vast precipitous limestone rock in the last parish : from this place
it runs by Tref y Clawdd, or the township on the ditch, over the
horse course on Cefn y Bwch above Oswestry, then above Sellatyn,
from whence it descends to the river Ceiriog, and thence to Glyn,
where there is a large breach, supposed to be the place where the
English who fell in the battle of Crogen, were interred."1 It then
passes by Chirk castle, and below Cefn y Wern, crosses the Dee,
and the Rhiwabon road near Plas Madoc, forming part of the turn-
pike road to Wrexham. It then proceeds to Pentre Bychan, where
there is a mount ; from thence by Plas Bower to Adwy'r Clawdd
near Minera; passing by Brumbo, it crosses Cegidog river, and
through a little valley on the south side of Bryn Yorkyn moun-
tain to Coed Talwrn and Cae-dwn," a farm near Treyddin chapel
"' Chirk castle occupies the site of Castell Crogen, near which the bloody battle in
Il6o was fought between King Henry the Second and the Welsh, and which proved
so disastrous to the English monarch. Mr. Pennant says, that the place is still called
Adwyr Beddau, or the pass of the graves of the men, who were slain there. An ac-
count of this battle is given in Vol. II. p. 1(J2.
" Cae-dwn, if written Cae-twn, would signify the field with a fracture, or broken
surface, than which nothing can be more expressive of the ending of this famous
work, which terminates in a flat cultivated country on the farm of Cae-dwn, or twn,
near Treyddin chapel. As the termination is remote from any hill or place of strength,
it is reasonable to imagine that this mighty attempt was here suddenly interrupted by
some cause, of which we must ever remain ignorant. Neither does any cause appear
[ 397 ]
» "- J
in the parish of Mold, pointing towards the Clwydian hills, beyond
which no traces of it can be discovered. It is observable, that in all
parts the ditch is on the Welsh side, and that there are numbers of
artificial mounts, the sites of small forts in many places along its
course.
To the indefatigable and intelligent tourist, Mr. Pennant, we are
likewise indebted for a detailed account of Wat's dyke, which he
says cannot be discovered to the south beyond Maesbury mill in the
parish of Oswestry, where it is lost in morassy ground : from thence
it takes a northerly direction to Hen-dinas and Pentre'r Glawdd, to
Gobowen, the site of a small fort called Bryn y Castell in the parish
of Whittington ; it then crosses Prys Henlle common in the parish
of Saint Martin, goes over the river Ceiriog between Brynkinallt
and Pont y Blew forge, and the river Dee below Nant y Bela;
from whence it passes through Wynnstay park by another Pentre'r
Clawdd, or township on the ditch, to Erddig, the seat of Philip
Yorke, Esq. where there was another strong fort on its line. From
Erddig it pursues its course above Wrexham, near Melin Puleston,
by Dolydd, Maesgwyn, Rhos-ddu, Croes-oneiras, and Mr. Shakerly's
Gwersyllt ; crosses the river Alun$ and through the township of
Llai to Rhydin, in the county of Flint ; above which is Caerlestyn,
why its course was not continued from sea to sea, unless Offa imagined that the Clwy-
dian hills, and the deep valley that lies on this side of their base, would serve as a
continuance of his prohibitory line. The weakness, however, of this great work ap-
peared on the death of Offa; the Welsh, with irresistible fury, despised his toils, and
carried their ravages far and wide into the English marches. Sanguinary laws were
made by the victorious Harold against those who should transgress the limits prescribed
by Offa, and the Welshman who should be found in arms on the Saxon side of the
ditch, was doomed to lose his right hand.
[ 398 ]
a British post : from hence it runs by Hope church, along the
side of Molesdale, which it quits towards the lower part, and turns
to Mynydd Sychdyn, Monachlog near Northop by Northop mills,
Bryn moel, Coed y Llys, Nant y Flint, Cefn y Coed, through the
Strand fields near Holywell, to its termination below the abbey of
Basinwerk.
Of the construction of this dyke we have no historical informa-
tion. There is an extensive ditch in Wiltshire called Wans dyke,
which resembles somewhat in name the one we have just described:
and derived its title most probably from the word gwahan, sepa-
ration. As the dykes of Offa and Wats attend each other in the
same direction for many miles,0 and as tradition informs us, that
the one made by Offa extended from sea to sea ; the confusion be-
tween the two is very natural. It is evident, however, that the
poet Churchyard was acquainted with them both, for in his Wor-
thiness of Wales, he thus mentions them :
" Within two myles, there is a famous thing,
Cal'de Offae's dyke, that reacheth farre in length,
All kind of ware the Danes might thether bring,
It was free ground, and cal'de the Britaine's strength.
Wat's dyke likewise, about the same was set,
Betweene which two, both Danes and Britaine's met,
And trafficke still, but passing bounds by sleight,
The one did take the other pris'ner streight."
* These two ditches run nearly parallel to each other at unequal distances from
Osweslry to Hope ; and the nearest point of union seems to be at Ruabon.
[ 399 ]
I am at loss to know the exact line of road which the crusaders
pursued from Basinwerk to Chester; but most probably it was
through Flint, Northop, Ewloe, and Hawarden, at each of which
places there are some remains of antiquity .p
In my notes on the twelfth chapter of'the second book of the
Itinerary, I have given my reasons for supposing that the next
station of the crusaders was at Whitchurch [II. 175], from whence
they proceeded to Oswestry, Shrewsbury, Wenloch, Brumfeld,
Ludlow, Leominster, and Hereford.^
From Shrewsbuiy a pleasant excursion might be made to the
beautiful seat of Sir Richard Hill at Hawkstone, where there is
a fine Roman camp. The ruins of Wenloch abbey afford many
good subjects for the pencil ; and the lover of the picturesque
should take a ride from Ludlow to Downton castle, the seat of Mr.
Knight, whose varied grounds present many interesting points of
view, and much fine and unadorned natural scenery.
From Hereford, the tourist may pursue his journey either by
land or water to Ross, a town most delightfully situated on the
* At Flint, there are the ruins of a large square castle, placed in a flat and watery
situation. In this fortress our English monarch Richard the Second was confined, and
afterwards deposed in the year 1399. At Northop, there is a very handsome Gothic
church, with some ancient tombs. The ruins of Eulo castle are situated on the edge
of a deep wooded dingle. The towers are finely overgrown with ivy, and command
the view of three wooded glens, deep and darksome, forming a most gloomy solitude.
Pennant, Vol. II. p. 88. The ruins of Hawarden castle, form a picturesque object,
soaring above the woods; its ancient name was Pennard halawg, perhaps corrupted
from Pen y Uwch or the head land above the lake. Its modern name is Saxon. Mr.
Pennant, from whom I have quoted the above passage, has given in his Tour, Vol. II.
p. 92, an account of its history and several proprietors.
* An account of each of these places has been given in my notes on the second book
of the Itinerary at pages 177, 188, 193, 194, and 201.
[ 400 ]
river Wye; whose parish church contains some costly and well
executed monuments. The Roman station of Ariconium, is at the
village of Bolitree near Ross. From hence he must hire a boat
to go down the Wye, visiting the castles of Wilton and Goodrich
the first day, and sleeping at Monmouth : on the next day, he will
view Tintern abbey, which far exceeds (as to the first coup d'oeil)
every ruin I have seen, either in England or Wales ; and will con-
clude this charming aquatic expedition under the majestic rocks
and proud towers of Chepstow castle.
I have endeavoured, in this sketch, to give a summary descrip-
tion of every object worthy of the traveller's attention in Wales, and
which, without any very long or inconvenient digression, might be
attended to during the progress of his tour; but I am still aware,
that some of the most beautiful parts of Wales have been neglected ;
amongst which is the vale of the Dee from Bala to Corwen, Llan-
gollen, and Bangor, which for a long and varied succession of fine
natural scenery stands unrivalled in North Wales. Many interest-
ing objects occur on this line of country. The abbey of Llan-
Egwest, or Vale Crucis ; and the stately castle of Dinas Bran near
Llangollen ; the two fine aqueducts in the vales of Dee and Ceiriog;
the castle at Chirk ; the grounds at Wynnstay ; and the churches
at Chirk, Ruabon, and Wrexham, all of which contain monuments
worthy of notice.
There are also parts of Montgomeryshire and Shropshire, which
have their beauties, and might be included within thelimits of a tour
through Wales. The vallies of the Vernwy, Tanad, and Severn
afford many pleasing points of view, and some interesting antiqui-
ties; butPowys castle stands pre-eminent in this part of the country,
[ 401 ]
for its fine situation, and commanding terrace. It is one of
those buildings, whose character requires the adoption of Italian
architecture, and the old fashioned style of garden: its terraces
should be preserved, its balustrades decorated with statues and
vases, interwoven with creeping plants and evergreens ; in short, it
should be made a Villa d'Esle in miniature.
Tours are taken for the double purposes of amusement and in-
formation ; and the objects that most generally command our
attention in travelling through a country, are the natural scenery
and antiquities ; the former needs no comment, for its degree of
beauty and attraction will be regulated and felt by the eye that
views it ; but on examining the ruins of a mouldering abbey or
castle, the inquisitive mind is desirous of knowing the aera of their
construction and demolition, the several vicissitudes of fortune they
have experienced, and each historical anecdote attached to them.
I have endeavoured therefore to elucidate by extracts from ancient
authors, and chiefly from the Welsh Chronicle, their various his-
tories. Something more, however, must be said towards distin-
guishing the peculiar character of the Welsh castles.
These may be divided into three classes ; the original British,
situated on high and almost inaccessible mountains, such as Cam
Madryn near Nevyn [II. 88], and Corndochon near Bala, in North
Wales ; and Crug Howel above the village of Crickhowel in South
Wales, with numerous others dispersed about the hills in each prin-
cipality, bearing the same characteristic features of rude and re-
mote antiquity. The vulgar name of Cottiau Gwyddelod, or huts
of the wild men, attributed to them by the natives, arose pro-
bably from their mode of construction ; being excavations made in
VOL. II. 3 F
[ 402 ]
the ground and rock, and surrounded by an inclosure of loose
stones.
Under the next head I shall place those that were constructed
with stone, and cemented with mortar, and placed on less eminent
situations. These are very similar in their plans, having generally
an outwork, and an artificial mound of earth as a citadel : instances
of these are seen at Pencadair and Lanpeder in South Wales. These
appear to me to be the castles recorded in the Welsh Chronicle, as
having been so frequently destroyed, and so frequently rebuilt;
and I arn inclined to think that they were chiefly constructed with
wood, otherwise they never could have been restored and reforti-
fied in the very short time specified in the Welsh annals.
After the subjugation of Glamorganshire by the Normans, and
the settlement of the Flemings in the Principality ; a new and far
more sumptuous mode of building was introduced ; of which we
see many fine examples in the castles of Cardiff, Kidwelly, Pem-
broke, Cilgarran, 8cc. kc. The contrast between the second and
third classes may be seen at Hay, where the tumulus and site of
the Welsh castle, and the ruins of the subsequent Norman fortress
are still visible.
A great improvement was afterwards made in military architec-
ture by King Edward the First, who at the same time that he
shewed his good policy in erecting the stately castles of Conwy>
Caernarvon, and Harlech, as bulwarks against the Welsh, displayed
his good taste and knowledge in military architecture. The pic-
turesque superiority of these buildings is owing to the introduction
of small turrets arising from the larger, by which the heavy
castellated mass of masonry receives great additional lightness
[ 403 ]
and elegance. Such are the peculiarities that have struck me in
viewing the different castles in North and South Wales ; but the
observation of the antiquarian should not be confined to them
alone; the Roman stations should be examined, and the Roman
roads explored ; and those, who wish to search more deeply into
the records of British antiquity should pay particular attention to
the Druidical remains with which Cambria abounds. In these the
island of Anglesey and the coast extending from Cardigan to St.
David's is the most fertile, but many mountains have their circles
of stones, and their Maen Arthur.
Those who in former times have travelled through Wales, will
view with no inconsiderable degree of satisfaction the rapid im-
provements that have taken place. Till within these few years the
southern part of Wales had a decided superiority, in point of good
roads and other necessary accommodations/ so requisite for the
comfort of the traveller ; but of late the appearance of the northern
provinces has been totally changed ; large tracts of land have been
rescued by embankments from the ravages of the sea -.* new inns have
been built ;' and new roads of communication have been cut through
r It is rather singular, and unfortunate for the traveller, that the zeorst inn in South
Wales should be situated in that very part of it, where nature has been the most pro-
lific in her beauties, in the midst of wealth and population, and in the immediate
neighbourhood of Newton Park and Golden Grove. I here allude to the inn at
Uandilo.
5 The greatest improvements, I have witnessed in this way, have been made by Mr.
Oakeley at his beautiful retirement in the vale of Festiniog, and by Mr. Madox on the
Traeth Mawr.
1 Since 1 first visited North Wales a magnificent hotel has been built at Caernarvon,
and good inns at Bedgelert, Capel Cerrig, and Tan y bwlch : I wish I could add
Dolgelley to this list, which, like Llandilo in South Wales, has the worst quarters in
the finest situation.
[ 404 ]
the most mountainous and apparently impracticable districts." And
here let me pay a just and grateful tribute to the laudable zeal and
disinterested exertions of an English nobleman (Lord Penrhyn), who
has devoted the profits of a large estate to the public good ; who, at
his own expense, has formed an extensive tract of excellent road, has
established a sea port, and introduced into the very bowels of the
mountains an industrious and numerous population." But the
most important improvement of the country has been totally
overlooked, namely planting; it is lamentable to see such immense
tracks of barren waste devoted to the pasture of a few miser-
able beasts and sheep, which might and ought to be covered with
extensive woods and plantations ; and it is still more truly lament-
able to see the native woods not only diminish daily by the axe,
but from the want of the necessary precaution of subsequent
fences, left unprotected against the infectious bite of cattle. In a
u In no one line has improvement taken such rapid strides as in the public roads,
particularly in the county of Caernarvon. The road from Tan y bwlch to Bedgelert
and Caernarvon is now made perfectly passable for carriages, and the Snowdonian
mountains are in a great measure avoided. A new road is making from Bedgelert,
by the beautiful lakes of Dinas and Gwynedd, to Capel Cerrig: another of great
importance is far advanced, by which the dangerous passage of the Traeth Mawr
will be avoided, and an easy communication opened with the promontory of Lleyn,
where there is a most advantageous harbour at Port dyn lleyn, and from whence
there might be a most easy communication with Ireland. By the exertions of Lord
Penrhyn, a short cut has been made from the old Irish road to Bangor, by which
Llannvst and Conwy are avoided, and the journey much shortened; but the artist and
lover of fine scenery must not abandon the old beaten track. Many other improve-
ments are still in agitation : a bridge over the Menai near Bangor has been proposed,
but has met with strong opposition from clashing interests.
* I allude to the numerous buildings which Lord Penrhyn has made in the neigh-
bourhood of his residence, and the population he has introduced amongst the moun-
tains, where his extensive slate quarries are situated.
[ 405 ]
very few years many estates will not furnish even an oak for a gate-
post. The first step towards this very essential improvement is a
change in the breed of sheep ; these mountain animals should be
tamed by a cross with the South Down, or some other more
domestic breed, y for such is the nature and agility of the sheep
that generally feed upon the mountains both in North and South
Wales, that no fences, however strong, can retain them within pro-
per bounds : all experiments in planting would therefore be fruit-
less, unless the inclosures could be well protected against the bite
of these animals. In South Wales they are equally hostile to agri-
culture, and totally prevent the cultivation of that most valuable
plant the turnip, to which large districts, (particularly in the vale
of Usk in Brecknockshire,) are peculiarly adapted. By a change in
the breed of sheep, or by a cross between the native Welsh and the
South .Down, the greatest advantages would result to the country:
turnips could be grown securely, the arable lands would be folded,
and the soil rendered doubly fertile and productive.
TO LANDSCAPE PAINTERS.— Few countries possess such an
assemblage of local beauties, and at the same time so many suitable
conveniences to the artist and draughtsman. Before the fashion-
able world quits the busy streets of the metropolis, he will find that
hearty welcome, and cheap accommodation at every Welsh inn,
which, at a more advanced season of the year, will be denied him.
The spring therefore should be his season for travel and improve-
i A friend of mine has made this experiment in Radnorshire with success; the
sheep becoming larger and tamer, the wool better, and the animal in every respect
more valuable.
[ 406 ]
ment ; but let him not rest satisfied with the hasty sketches and
remarks of a pedestrian traveller; let him fix his station at those
places, where nature affords in the greatest variety and abundance
those subjects which are the peculiar object of his studies; and
there let him study her beauties in detail. By detail, I mean, in
all those parts, which, when united, will form a perfect whole or
picture. Let him make separate sketches of rocks, stones, trees,
and even weeds ; in short, of all the component parts of landscape.
Young painters are too apt to aim at the whole, before they are
sufficiently acquainted with the parts. There is a grammar in
landscape, as well as in language ; and it is as necessary to be well
grounded in the grammar of weeds, rocks, and trees, in order to
become a good painter ; as in the grammar of nouns, pronouns, and
verbs, to become a good scholar.
For subjects of rich and varied scenery, the artist must resort to
the numerous fine vallies with which both North and South Wales
abound. Those of the Wye, Usk, Taf, Towy, and Teivi in South
Wales have been the most admired for their local beauties ; and to
the vale of Towy the pre-eminence has in general been given ; but
in my opinion, it has a most powerful rival in the vale of Usk, which,
for extent of fine scenery certainly surpasses it ; and its views near
Crickhowel may vie with those on the Towy near Llandilo. The
vale of the river Dovy, which forms a boundary between the pro-
vinces of North and South Wales, has also its beauties about
Machynlleth, kc. kc.
The vales of the Dee, the Gonwy, and the Clwyd are the most
celebrated in North Wales for their fine scenery ; the views on the
Dee near Langollen cannot be surpassed. The Conwy in its course
[407 ]
from the mountains to Llanrwst, affords many picturesque subjects
for the pencil, in its bridges and waterfalls; and in its progress
towards Conwy, assumes a grander character by becoming a tide
river. The upper part of the vale of Clwyd is the most adapted
to the painter's scale ; but upon the whole, this valley is too ex-
tensive and wide for the canvas : and more to be admired for its
rich appearance and fertility, than for its picturesque features.
Though last, yet not least in beauty, let me not forget the delight-
ful little Vale of Festiniog: which in every sense most fully answers
the name, and contains every beauty which we can expect to find
in a valley : fine woods, majestic mountains, picturesque bridges,
rapid streams, and scenery on a scale not too extensive either for
the eye or the pencil. Lord Lyttelton. speaking of the Vale of
Festiniog. says. " It was the most perfectly beautiful of any he had
seen. From the height of the village you have a view of the sea.
The hills are green and well shaded with wood. There is a lovely
rivulet which winds through the bottom : on each side are mea-
dows, and above are corn-fields along the sides of the hills : at each
end are high mountains, which seem placed there to guard this
charming retreat against any invaders. With the woman one loves,
with the friend of one's heart, and a good study of books, one might
pass an age here, and think it a day."
Yet many rivers of smaller note, and even many contributory
streams possess beauties which have never been discovered, but by
the fisherman ; who, in the pursuit of the trout or salmon, has been
tempted to follow their meandring courses. These should be more
peculiarly the object of young artists, as affording the simple subjects
of rock, wood, and water, best suited to their studies.
[408 ]
The counties of Merioneth and Caernarvon will afford the finest
examples of grand mountain scenery : and no better stations can
be fixed upon than Tan y bwlch, Bedgelert, Capel Cerrig, and
Dolgelley : at each of which the artist will find good accommo-
dations.
The broken shores of the Traeth Mawr and Bychan, and the
aestuary of the river Maw, from Laneltid bridge (near Dolgelley) to
Barmouth, present the finest outline imaginable of rocks, wood,
and water : but those who wish to study the grand masses of rock
in detail, must visit the sea coast of Pembrokeshire, and pay their
devotions at the well of Saint Gowen.
The lovers of monastic and military architecture will find ample
employment for their pencil in the abbies of Tintern, Lanthoni,
Margan, Neth, Vale Crucis, Wenloch, fcc. &c. &c. ; in the cathe-
dral churches of Llandaff and Saint David's ; and in the castles of
Goodrich, Chepstow, Ragland, Cardiff, Kidwelly, Pembroke, Manor-
beer, Newport, Cilgarran, Harlech, Caernarvon, and Conwy.
To ARCHITECTS. — I now address myself to another class of
artists, namely, those who study architecture as a profession. Their
grammar is indeed easy, when compared to that of the historical or
landscape painter. Easy, however, as it may appear, if properly
studied, yet in the present age its principles and character have
not been duly attended to; if I may be allowed to form my judg-
ment from the modern performances of those men who are deemed
the most able in their profession. A living author,2 speaking of
this class of artisls, very justly observes, " The cloven fool will
* Whitaker's History of Craven. London, 1805.
[ 409 ]
appear, for modern architects have an incurable propensity to mix
their own absurd and unauthorised fancies with the genuine models
of antiquity. They want alike taste to invent, and modesty to copy."
When a young architect has learned grammatically the technical
rules of his profession, let him make the tour of England, and, like
a bee, collect his stores of knowledge and information from the
numerous fine examples of pure and uncontaminated architecture
that are dispersed over the whole kingdom. With a discerning eye
he will soon learn to distinguish the particular ornaments and
decorations that characterized each different aera of British archi-
tecture ; he will trace not only with pleasure, but with certainty,
the progress from the Roman, to the Saxon and JVbrman; and from
them to what has been vulgarly but improperly called Gothic: he
will then perceive how from the chaste and simple designs of King
Henry the Third at Salisbury, this style became more decorated ;
how in the reign of King Edward the Third it attained its highest
state of perfection, and how from that period the pointed arch
began to droop in height, and the decorations assumed a new fea-
ture: he will afterwards trace the introduction of the Italian style
both in ecclesiastical as well as sepulchral architecture:3 and with
these just ideas of discrimination in his head, and the sketches he
has collected, in his portfolio, he will have too much good sense to
recommend, and too much good taste to execute such horrid inno-
vations and incongruities in architecture, as we are doomed daily to
behold, both in the public and private buildings of our island.
* By ecclesiastical and sepulchral, I mean the architecture of churches and of tombs,
which the attentive observer will find keeping the same track and the same pace, and
maintaining and losing the same beauties throughout each distinct period.
VOL. II. 3 G
[ 410 ]
At a period like the present, when the prevailing taste of the
times leads our affluent countrymen, and even our Monarch, to
revive the pointed style of architecture,15 it is particularly desirable
that it should be conducted on the principles of correctness ; and
that each individual ornament, and even moulding, should cor-
respond exactly with the date of the building. An architect who
knows not these peculiarities, may be deemed ignorant of his pro-
fession, and should return to school for a better education ; and
the architect, who knowing the distinctive characters of the pure
pointed style does not adopt them, demonstrates an evident want of
taste in the principles of his profession.
That the rise and progress of our national architecture may be
more distinctly marked and known, I shall endeavour, by the
means of examples that have occurred during my Itinerary through
South Wales, to follow its course : tracing its varieties, and demon-
strating the gradual advancement it made towards perfection, and
proving that system, not chance, directed the hands of our ancient
workmen.
b At Windsor Castle and Richmond.
[411 ]
PROGRESS OF ARCHITECTURE
FROM A PERIOD NEARLY COEVAL WITH THE CONQUEROR, TO THE SIX-
TEENTH CENTURY, ILLUSTRATED BY A SERIES OF DESIGNS TAKEN
FROM EXISTING REMAINS IN SOUTH WALES, AND ARRANGED SYSTE-
MATICALLY.
FROM the affinity of England to Wales, architecture seems to have
been nearly upon a level in each kingdom; for as a particular
species of this art rose up with us in England, imitations were very
soon introduced into the neighbouring Principality. This circum-
stance need not create much surprise, when we consider the near
connexion that took place between the two countries, when our
ancestors sojourned with the Welsh, we will not say, as absolute
conquerors, but as authoritative visitors. Hence it becomes evident,
how so great a similarity in architecture should prevail in both
regions, though ever divided in private sentiments, if not in public
professions ; for in Cambria we find the same mode of design, the
same degrees of fine workmanship, the same decorative display, and
the same good taste. Indeed, did we not know how the hearts of
each peopled land were estranged by an original and deep-rooted
hatred, we might, in considering the near-joined principle of art in
each country, conclude, that in the pursuit of documents to illus-
trate this our architectural system, we traversed one and the same
land.
The earliest knowledge we have of architecture amongst us, is
that kind left by our forefathers, the ancient Britons. Such works,
on a general survey, appear as simple upright stones, supporting
horizontal ones by way of covering, so as to keep off the effects of
the elements, and for the purpose of uniting their labours in one
strong and compact body. The dimensions of their piles are un-
limited, their plans variable, and their elevations simple and com-
pound, from the Maen kirion, or humble Cromlech in Wales and
Cornwall, to the stupendous fabrics of Avebury and Stonehenge in
Wiltshire. This latter setting up of stones is certainly on a prin-
ciple of grandeur, that no time or place ever exceeded ; its pro-
perties cannot be defined, and we but behold to confess this mighty
truth.
Our professional observations are next directed to the skill and
genius of the Romans when amongst us ; who, becoming our pro-
tectors and enlighteners, as well as subduers, stored our island with
edifices, rivalling even those they had left behind them ; and with
a lavish hand distributed, from shore to shore, their splendid gifts
and sciences.
The study of Roman architecture being so generally understood,
and the practice of it so widely diffused ; it would be superfluous
to enter into any detail of its qualities, or its merits : let us, there-
fore, proceed to the period of the Saxon dominion. On the arrival
of these foreigners in our island, they found on all sides most excel-
lent models of Roman architecture to guide them in the construc-
tion of those edifices, which they found it expedient to raise for
their civil or religious purposes. But as the mind of man is ever
prone to change, these Saxon builders soon deviated from the
A
B
PnUifhrd Mxvli ."rfloe.ln-^lTliaji, MiTlfT.Arbonarle Ptrrrt J^wiAn .
[413 ]
regular path which their predecessors had followed. They altered
the proportions of columns, changed the character of bases, capi-
tals, architraves, and entablatures ; they introduced an entire col-
lection of new ornaments and embellishments ; yet still, upon the
whole, the Roman manner predominated ; indeed, their architec-
ture may. be said to have been Roman architecture in disguise.
As we have no authorities that the Roman workmen adopted the
figure of the cross in their plans, we must give credit to the Saxons
for bringing into the arrangement of their churches, that figure
which maintained its ground for so many succeeding ages. In our
time, however, we have, in many instances, thought proper to dis-
card that Christian emblem, and are reverting back to the old
Roman temple, or Pagan mode of construction, not only in the plan
of our churches, but in their elevations, ornaments, and attributes.
The Saxons seem to have made use of little variety in their style
of building, until the Normans entered Great Britain. About this
period, we are able to bring forward our first example, which is
taken from the parish church of Margan, Glamorganshire, and
whose construction we have good reason to attribute to one of those
Norman knights, who conquered that province under their chieftain,
Robert Fitz-Hamon.
CLASS THE FIRST.
Plate I. — A. Part of the north side of the nave of Margan church,
Glamorganshire. The principal parts are composed of piers with
breaks, plinths, and an abacus, supporting arches. This work, as
well as that of the windows, is very simple ; the whole well pro-
portioned, and each part appropriate to the other. A block cornice
[414 ]
terminates the design, which from its entire character assimilates
with the Roman style. The baptismal font is likewise accordant.
On viewing this specimen of ancient architecture, we are naturally
struck with its very great simplicity, and astonishing resemblance
to the correct proportions of Italian design.
B. — Part of the north side of the nave of Ewenny church, Gla-
morganshire. Here all the features, the columns as well as arches,
give strong indications of the Saxon manner, and in its plainest
dress. The windows partake of the same character.
DECORATIONS.
C. — Door-way in the west front of Ewenny. The capitals are
formed in convex divisions, and the architrave to the arch is en-
riched with projecting zig-zags, or diagonals ; the bases are buried
under ground.
D. — A door-way on the north side of the nave of Llandaff
cathedral, Glamorganshire. The grounds, or walls, on each side of
the columns, and on each side of the architrave of the arch, have
the diagonals lying flat ; but those in the architrave project. The
exterior mouldings of the arch, composing a sweeping cornice,
rise from grotesque heads, ornamented in the centre with the
busto of a bishop. This door-way is rich and curious, and I ima-
gine that it formed a part of the ancient church previous to its
reconstruction by Bishop Urban, in the year 1120. See Itinerary,
Vol. I. p. 139.
Plate II. E. — Dado to the east end of the interior of Saint David's
cathedral. The upper half of the enrichment is the frett, a deci-
TI.ATE n.
_tl t'ep
mm
llarcli i • 1806 .In- WTJmn M1<T, Albmarlc Sn-<« . London .
[415 ]
sive Roman ornament.' Beneath are intersecting arches, studded
with beads, which is a strong Saxon peculiarity. This curious
interesting combination is most worthy of notice, not only from
the conjunction of the arches, but from the important figure
thereby discovered, that is the Pointed Arch. Though the example
here delineated is not on so large a scak as I could wish, yet the
incident may be as satisfactory to establish the origin of this arch,
as in those examples which we find in larger ranges, on the west
fronts of Malmesbury abbey in Wiltshire, and St. Botolph's church,
Colchester ; on the east end of Hereford cathedral ; and in Wenloch
abbey, fcc. &c. These subjects tend to confirm and elucidate the
system, which indeed now gains ground in general belief, that the
pointed arch mode of architecture most assuredly had its first forma-
tion in our island, and from so fortunate a circumstance as this in-
tersection of two semicircular arches. b
F. — Circular recesses in the spandrils of the arches of the gallery
in the nave of St. David's cathedral. In both these examples,
which partake of the Saxon character, there is a tendency towards
illustrating the origin of the pointed arch.
CLASS THE SECOND.
G. — Part of the south side of the body of the parish church at
Manorbeer, Pembrokeshire; erected, it may be presumed, soon after
1 This ornament seems to have been a favourite for many generations and from very
early times; for we see it adopted by the Etruscans and Greeks in their fine vases,
afterwards by the Romans, and continued by the Saxons.
b Much has been said and written upon the subject of the pointed arch ; and this
opinion seems now generally to prevail, viz. that its idea was first suggested by the in-
tersection of two semicircular arches, forming the pointed one. It were much to be
[ 416 ]
the Conquest. In this design we see the pointed arch in the purest
and simplest degree that can possibly be imagined. The piers are
entirely plain, without breaks, and the arches have no mouldings.
The ceiling takes a plain pointed sweep. As nothing can come more
in aid of our subject, too much attention cannot be paid to so very
simple and valuable a specimen of the principle we maintain, " that
the pointed arch had its origin on British ground." c The font is
completely Saxon, corroborating the remote construction of this
church.
H. — Part of the north side of the nave of Saint David's cathe-
dral, erected about the year 1180,d Though the greater part of
wished, that the word Gothic, so improperly applied to the pointed style, could be abo-
lished, and a new word substituted in its place; but it is as difficult to drop the use of
old phrases, as to break through old customs, and I fear our British architecture will
long remain branded with the opprobrious and unmerited term of Gothic.
c Amongst the many arguments that have taken place respecting the origin of the
pointed arch, the pointed arches engraven by Horsley in his Britannia Romano, Scot-
land, p. 192, No. 5, and Middlesex, p. 1Q2, No. 75, have been brought forward as
examples to prove, that this form was in use during the period of the Roman dominion
in Britain. I have not been able to prove whether the arch of the former has been
drawn correctly, as Horsley slated it to be at Skirvay in Scotland ; but the latter is
preserved in the Arundelian collection at Oxford, and has been carefully examined
and drawn by Mr. Carter. The engraving, Plate III. No. 17, amongst the inscrip-
tions in my introduction to this Itinerary, will prove decidedly that the arch was
round, not pointed; and I think it probable, that the same error may have been com-
mitted by Horsley 's draughtsman, with respect to the other arch.
d As we are informed by the histories of Saint David's, that the old church, having
been repeatedly injured by the Danes and other pirates, was pulled down and rebuilt
by the bishop who presided over the see in the year 1180, we are enabled to ascertain
the precise time when these architectural elevations were in use. But the buildings at
Lanthoni in Monmouthshire, and Llandaffin Glamorganshire, prove that the pointed
arch was adopted at a much earlier period, and had obtained a great degree of ele-
gance and perfection as to its shape; the former was erected soon after the year
1108, and the latter in the year 1120.
[417 ]
this elevation is Saxon, and upon the most splendid scale ; yet in
the galleries the arches have pointed heads. From this example it
is evident that the new feature, the pointed arch, began to assume
a degree of estimation in great works ; and whether placed here as
a kind of trial to prove how such an object would take with the
eye of the public, or whether the architect being desirous to esta-
blish it by slow degrees, was unwilling totally to set aside the old
order, or the round arch, cannot be positively ascertained. It is
sufficient for us to behold the manner in which the ancient archi-
tects proceeded in their course, which, though gradual, was sure,
and at length successful in establishing the general adoption of
the new or pointed style of architecture.
I. — Part of the north side of the choir at Saint David's. The
pointed "style has now begun its reign, although retarded in its
progress towards perfection by all the minute peculiarities apper-
taining to its overpowered Saxon parent.' It is a curious and for-
tunate circumstance for our theory, that this and the preceding
elevation run in the same line of building. f Thus we see from
trifling beginnings what mighty things arise. The smallest arches
only of the galleries in the nave have pointed heads, whilst all those
in the choir are pointed. These are precedents highly interesting,
full of consequence, and of the first authority.
e In this design we ought to observe, that the form of the arch only is varied; for
the ornaments and decorations that were made use of in the Saxon arches in the nave,
are here appropriated to the pointed arches in the choir.
f This expression of the same line of building, may perhaps be better understood by
substituting the word range or story; thus we see both ranges of arches in the choir
pointed, whilst in the elevation of the nave, the lower range is Saxon or round, the
second pointed, and the third round.
VOL. II. 3 H
[418]
CLASS THE THIRD.
Plate III. K. — Part of the north side of the nave of Llandaff
cathedral, erected about the year 1120.8 This part of the cathe-
dral is in ruins, and the upright walls that remain, (excepting the
west front, which is nearly entire,) rise little higher than the gal-
leries ; a portion of which is seen in this plate. These remains
give the pointed style in its pure state, after complete emancipation
from the Saxon,h and from that subsequent mode of design, wherein
we see an intermixture of the round and the pointed arch. The
columns, architraves, mouldings, and ornaments, are all new, and
shew much beauty and symmetry, marking the aera of King Henry
the First.
L. — Part of the north side of our Lady's chapel in Llandaff
cathedral. This example may be considered as a remove from the
preceding one in the nave K. in which we find the features ren-
dered more light and elegant. The windows have mullions and
tracery, simple yet delicate. In this building we also find a trans-
ition of modes in the same line or range, as in Saint David's, and
of the most satisfactory nature ; still carrying on our architectural
* Bishop Urban, in the year 1120, pulled down the old church at Llandaff, and
erected a new one ; but he probably may have preserved the two fine Saxon door-
cases of the original building, and appropriated them to his new edifice.
h If the example now before us was a part of the building erected by Bishop Urban,
A. D. 1 120, which we have every reason to suppose was the case, and if the specimens
produced from Sainc David's, H. and I. Plate II. formed a part of the church built by
Peter de Leia, A. D. 1180, (who pulled down the old church and rebuilt it,) we have
evident proof that the pointed style was not at this time, according to the statement
of Mr. Carter, emancipated from the round or Saxon style of architecture, although
the example here given has no mixture of the two forms.
••-
Bla
Pubhslird HarcJai(?i6o6.tvWnlwni Miller, AlbeoiaiieSlrert.Li«ja«i
[419 ]
position, " that the pointed Order had no other source, than that of
a regular and progressive course from one mode of design to that
of another.
DECORATIONS.
M 1 . An open parapet to the episcopal palace at Saint David's
erected about the year 1328, by Bishop Gower, who may be said
to have been the inventor of this elegant and singular decoration ,
by which his buildings at Saint David's, Lantphey Court, and
Swansea are particularly distinguished.
M 2,. A circular window in the episcopal palace at Saint David's .
The mullion work is extremely pleasing, and seems to be an early
attempt at those elaborate windows commonly termed Saint Catha-
rine's, or Catharine- wheel windows.
N 1. Window in the chapter-house at Landaff cathedral, simple
and chaste in its design.
N 2. Door- way and holy water niche near the stairs of the rood-
loft at Saint David's. There is something very remarkable in the
exterior lines of the head of this door-way, which seem to bear a
strong tendency towards forming the outline of the pointed arch.
N 3. Head of a door-way in the Bishop's palace at Saint David's.
The ogee sweep of this arch is not frequently met with, owing pro-
bably to the little interest such a figure made, when opposed to the
all-perfect one of the pointed arch. Another reason may be given
for its having been so little adopted, namely, its apparently weak
and imperfect line, and its unfitness to support large weights ; the
nature of the sweep of this arch being to press inwards, and, of
course, not much to be depended upon. Still, however, we find
that this arch has endured for many ages.
[ 420 ]
Plate IV. — O. A door-way in the porch of Saint David's cathe-
dral. This design is richer, in point of workmanship, than any of
the preceding examples in this class. It has the addition of angu-
lar and square buttresses ; on the latter of which there are busts
that seem to support the architrave to the arch. Amongst the
ornaments surrounding the span of the arch, we may see the indi-
cation of crockets ; and over the head stone are some faint remains
of sculptured figures within pointed niches.
CLASS THE FOURTH.
P. East end of the exterior of the chapter-house at Margan, Gla-
morganshire. The outward walls alone remain of this chaste and
graceful building. The exquisite groins fell but of late ; not from
the injuries of time and decay of nature, but from total neglect and
inattention. In this design, we see a new ornament introduced.
The shafts of the columns are divided by bands, and this method
obtained such general approbation, that two courses of bands were
added to the length of a shaft, dividing it into three stories, and ad-
ditional bands were added, if the columns increased in height. Of
the beautiful effect produced by this variety of design, we have
fine examples in the cathedral churches of Durham and Salisbury,
and in Westminster abbey.
Q. East end of the interior of the chapter-house at Margan. The
same charming style is still continued, but with this novelty, that
the pillars supporting the groins of the roof rest upon brackets. I
regret that in this instance our collection of sketches afford no docu-
ment for any decoration of this class.
n ri i
t i r t"s»<. t.
Painted March i" 1806. brTOIliam MJUr..\H«mjiik S««. London-
[ 421 ]
CLASS THE FIFTH.
A new style of architecture seems to have prevailed during the
reign of King Edward the Third. The features of every kind ap-
pertaining to this class have a different character from each particu-
lar that had gone before, excepting the grand feature, the pointed
arch. We now find buttresses, battlements, blockings, brought into
use ; the mouldings and ornaments were profuse, and painted and
gilded in the most costly and brilliant manner. Not the smallest
space was left unheeded ; and such a gorgeous display did this
magnificent style present, that human art seems at this period to
have arrived at the height of its perfection. No one example of this
nature was so astonishing as that of Saint Stephen's chapel, West-
minster. I say was, because now, alas ! these beautiful relicts of
our royal Edward's days are now no more, and have, I am sorry to
add, been most wantonly destroyed by persons whose profession at
least, if not their taste, ought to have taught them to pay more
reverence to the sublime productions of ancient British artists.
Our sketches contribute but one example of the splendid archi-
tecture that graced the reign of King Edward the Third, which is
taken from the rood-loft in Saint David's cathedral.' The design
of this rood-loft is one of those choice and consummate perform-
ances, which cannot by a discerning and intelligent mind be ever
overlooked, or suffered to remain unprotected. In short, its excel-
1 The construction of this beautiful rood-loft has generally been attributed to Bishop
Gower, who lies interred in a costly tomb beneath it. This Bishop was elected to the
see of Saint David's, A. D. 1328, and one year after the accession of King Edward
the Third to the crown of England.
lences are of the first quality, and of the highest beauty. I lament,
that the scale of our illustrative engravings will not allow me to go
more into the detail of the decorations of this elegant and curious
fabrick ; and I regret that I must content myself with giving a design
only of its door-way, R.
CLASS THE SIXTH.
During the successive reigns of Richard II. A. D. 1377; Henry
IV. A. D. 1399 ; Henry V. A. D. 1413 ; Henry VI. A. D. 1422; Ed-
ward IV. A. D. 1461 ; and Edward V. A. D. 1483, there seems to
have been a distinct order of design ; and during this period, the
pointed arch began to droop in its height, the enrichments to lose
much of their sublimity, and decline in the redundancy of their
parts ; which, however, were renewed with redoubled brilliancy in
the reign of King Henry VII.; still there were many beautiful
particulars in action amongst the architectural works of this period ;
and we have again to regret, that by our sketches we can illustrate
this class only by decorations.
DECORATIONS.
S. Niche at the east end of the north aisle of the choir in the
cathedral church at Llandaff.
T. Altar skreen in our Lady's chapel at Llandaff.k
Plate V. — U. Western door- way to the parish church of Tenbigh,
Pembrokeshire. This uncommon example cannot be passed over
k Though these two examples are not of a sufficient magnitude to shew how the
pointed arch dropped, and by what rules the arch of this asra was formed ; still they
will serve to evince the character of the decorations made use of at this period.
y
i
p -
robtelcrf Mirdi i*iSo6.1y Wnimi MncrjMbonark Slrfit l.ondo
[423 ]
without particular notice. The inner sweep of the arch has the ogee
turn, while the succeeding lines by various small transitions revert
into the pointed head. Among the flowerets in the principal sweep,
is a sculpture of St. George and the Dragon (of too small a scale to
be rendered intelligible in this plate). Within the outward sweep
is this incription — BENEDICTUS DOMINUS IN DONIS suis.
CLASS THE SEVENTH.
Our progress is now arrested at the concluding style of our an-
cient architecture during the reigns of the last two Henrys. The
pointed arch sunk to a sweep so very flat, that its line was obliged to
be struck from two centres. Yet the regular pointed arch was not
wholly abandoned, but was introduced occasionally with the flat
one. The sweeping moulding that had hitherto followed the line
of the pointed arch, took a new turn ; it was placed in a perpendi-
cular and horizontal direction, and denominated a label. The
mouldings and ornaments were peculiar to this period, and were
interspersed with the arms and devices of the Tudor family, and
with tracery work that was carried to an unbounded excess. The
designs of this style were so endless in variety, and executed with
such an astonishing degree of skill and art, that an author of the
seventeenth century,1 describing the chapel of King Henry VII. in
Westminster abbey, says " Henry the Seventh's chapel is the wonder
of the universe, so far exceeding human ability, that it appears knit
together by the fingers of angels, under the direction of Omnipo-
tence."
W. Elevation of a gateway at Crickhowel, Brecknockshire. The
1 Ward's London Spy.
[ 424 ]
remarkable feature in this design, is the square label over the
pointed heads of the windows. The door-way has the regular
pointed arch.
DECORATIONS.
X. Door-way on the west side of a building adjoining the parish
church at Tenbigh, Pembrokeshire. The features are strongly cha-
racterized in the regular pointed arch, the label, the Tudor arms
with an inscription — BENEDICTUS DOMINUS IN DONIS suis.
Y. A niche in Bishop Vaughan's chapel at Saint David's.
Z. Part of a rood-loft in St. Patrishew's chapel near Crickhowel,
Brecknockshire. The infinity of enrichments peculiar to this class
is most curiously displayed ; among which is thejlai arch, shewing
the visible decline and near extinction of that sublime feature, the
regular triangular pointed arch.
Thus have we endeavoured to trace the progress of the pointed
arch, and to point out the various beauties and particularities
attached to it ; and though our illustrative materials have not
been equally full in every class, they have been sufficient, we
hope, to prove in a satisfactory manner, " That the pointed style of
architecture was no imported science, but English, ancient English
architecture."
Amongst the most perfect Saxon churches within our island, I
may place the collegiate church of Southwell in Nottinghamshire,
the churches of Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire, and of Rumsey in
Hampshire, all of which afford many interesting specimens of this
style of architecture ; but it would be too tedious to enumerate the
many examples of rich Saxon arches, portals, Sec. which our island
[ 425 ]
would furnish to those, who wish to make them the object of
their attention and inquiries.
There is much difficulty in ascertaining the distinguishing marks
between the Saxon and Norman architecture; but each people
made use of the round arch. From the well known settlement of
the Normans in Glamorganshire, we may venture to attribute to
them the construction of the churches at Margan and Ewenny.
Those of my readers, who wish for more satisfactory examples
of each individual class, may find them in great perfection at the
places which I shall here enumerate.
Class 1. Saxon at Southwell, Nottinghamshire.
Class 2. At the cathedral, Durham.
Class 3. At the cathedral of Wells in Somersetshire.
Class 4. At the cathedral of Salisbury,"1 and in Westminster
abbey.
Class 5. At Saint Stephen's chapel, Westminster.
Class 6. In the churches at Coventry, and at Guild Hall, London.
Class 7. King Henry the Seventh's chapel, Westminster.
Having, in my selection of examples to prove the rise and
m The cathedral church of Salisbury is, of all others in England, the most remark-
able for the uniformity of its architecture, which pervades the whole edifice; a peculi-
arity which is not elsewhere to be met with in so large a building of that azra. I wish I
could add, that the alterations made a few years ago, either contributed to the improve-
ment of the cathedral, or to the professional skill and good taste of the architect who
planned and executed them.
This light, elegant, and uniform building, which the eye is never fatigued in view-
ing, was begun by Bishop Poore in the reign of King Henry the Third. Its con-
struction occupied nearly the space of forty years; it was dedicated in the year 1258,
and still exists as one of the noblest monuments of the magnificent piety and skilful
architecture of the former ages.
VOL. II. 3 I
[ 426 ]
progress of the pointed arch, confined myself hitherto to the princi-
pality of South Wales ; and those examples not being quite so
perfect and satisfactory as I could wish, to prove the gradual and
decided progress which our British architecture made towards per-
fection, I have thought it necessary to add another Plate, No. VI.
which I hope will prove an useful lesson to those who are desirous
of knowing on what geometrical principles each particular arch
was formed.
1
i
A
/\
ruhh»lx-d March i*»8o6.bv
rlc Str^t , LoiiA»i
[427 ]
EXAMPLE S
OF THE MOST REMARKABLE ARCHES THAT HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED
INTO OUR ANCIENT BUILDINGS, FROM THE ROMAN, SAXON. AND
NORMAN jERA, UNTIL THE REIGN OF KING HENRY VIII. SELECTED
FROM EXISTING DOCUMENTS ADAPTED TO THE NATURE OF THIS
ILLUSTRATION.
BY the following series of arches, it is intended to shew, in a regu-
lar, plain, and decisive manner, the rise and progress of the pointed
arch, which arch gave birth to that order of architecture, which
so splendidly adorned the reigns of King Henry II. and III. and
King Edward III. During the latter epoch, this order attained its
highest state oT perfection. In succeeding ages, it began visibly to
decline in beauty ; and at the close of the reign of King Henry VIII.
the whole mode of workmanship (after undergoing various transi-
tions, until it became the mere shadow of its former greatness) fell
into total disuse and contempt.
PLATE VI.— FORMS OF ARCHES."
1 . Arch in the Roman wall at Leicester. The dotted horizontal
line shews the springing line, from which the arch takes its circular
• By the annexed series of arches, it is intended to show the different variations of
our British architecture from the earliest period ; and to explain, by lines and centres,
how each particular arch ought to be drawn.
[428]
direction. The perpendicular dotted line, intersecting the horizontal
one, gives the centre,0 from which the arch is struck.
2. Arch in the nave of the Saxon part of Saint David's cathe-
dral, Pembrokeshire. The method of striking this Saxon arch, is
the same as described in the preceding number.
3. Arch in the Saxon part of the cathedral church at Llandaff,
Glamorganshire.? The horizontal and perpendicular lines being
drawn, divide half of the opening into four parts ; at the second
part, i raise another perpendicular line. The third part will give
the first centre. Strike the sweep till it meets the last perpendicular:
from thence draw a line through the centre, until it intersects the
principal perpendicular line, where the second centre will be found,
from which the remainder of the arch must be struck.
4. Intersecting arches in the arcade on the west part of the Saxon
front of Malmsbury abbey, Wiltshire. By consulting the several
horizontal and perpendicular lines, as well as the centres for strik-
ing the arches, which are thus made to interlace and intersect each
other, we see in the most unequivocal and demonstrative manner,
the origin oj the pointed arch, which, being formed by that true
geometrical figure, an equilateral triangle, is most perfect. After
this formation of the pointed arch, we are naturally led to the adop-
tion of its chaste and elegant sweep, divested of the semicircular
direction.
0 All the centres are distinguished in the plans by a black spot.
* This arch is situated at the back part of the altar, and from its form appears to
have belonged to the ancient church previous to its reconstruction in 1 120.
* In the division of these parts, when I speak ofjirst, second, third, 8ic. it must be
observed that I measure the parts from the left to the right.
f
5. Arch in the choir of the cathedral church of Saint David's.
Having shewn the original formation of the pointed arch, I now
produce an example of it on a larger scale. Draw the horizontal
and perpendicular lines, and then the equilateral triangle. The
centres for striking the arch will be found at the extremities of the
horizontal line of the triangle.
6. Arch at Goodrich castle, on the river Wye, Herefordshire.
The same arch, but on a larger scale, as the preceding ; where we
see the equilateral proportion and the pointed figure repeated. A
certain portion, or a segment of the pointed outline gives the arch
in question; which was very frequently made use of, particularly
in castle gateways, and where room was wanting to raise lofty head-
ways. Many similar examples occur in Wales.
7. Two arches in the abbey church, Westminster. These arches
run parallel with each other; their proportions are more lofty, or
more acute than the equilateral proportion. Divide the horizontal
line of the first arch into four parts, and by adding zfjlh, you will
find the centre.' Divide likewise the horizontal line of the second
arch into three parts, and add three other parts on the outside of
the outline of the arch, from the extremity of which you will find
the centre from which the other arch must be struck.
8. Arch in Babelake church, Coventry. The proportion of the
pointed arch is here departed from, and becomes more obtuse.
Divide the horizontal line into eight parts, and at the seventh the
centre will be found.
9. Arch at the west entrance of Westminster abbey ; still more
obtuse, and declining in beauty as well as in perfection of form.
' This/z/M part constitutes the exact intermediate distance between the two arches.
[430]
Divide the horizontal line into four parts, and at the third you shall
find the centre.
10. Arch of a window in the nave of the cathedral church at
Llandaff. The pointed arch struck from the 'centres, as before de-
scribed, did not alone prevail in our ancient works. Many attempts
were made to rival its excellencies, by bringing forward another
kind of pointed arch, of an inverted figure, which, although intro-
duced in many buildings, soon resigned the competition, and left
the original arch in general adoption. Divide the horizontal line
into four parts, and from the third part which is the first centre,
draw a line (having previously raised one of the divisions or parts
up the principal perpendicular line,) through the said perpendi-
cular, and continue it for the same length as the inclined line just
drawn from the first centre, and the point will be ascertained how
to strike the first half of the arch. In order to find the second
centre, or the upper horizontal line, divide the height of the arch
into two parts ; then take one of those parts or half of the arch, and
form a triangle with its point downwards, and at the left of the
upper point the centre will be found.'
1 1 . Arch to a monument in the cathedral church at Llandaff.
The lofty appearance of the preceding mishapen arch had also,
like the more perfect pointed one, its decline, as may be seen by
this more obtuse outline. Divide the horizontal line into four
parts ; from the first part, which gives the first centre, raise a second
perpendicular line of the same height as one of the parts or divi-
' I cannot be quite so explicit and intelligible as I could wish on the subject of this
singular arch, but the lines and points on the plan of the arch will on a trial suffi-
ciently elucidate the method of drawing it.
[431 ]
sions, which will produce the first sweep of the arch. To strike
the second sweep of the arch, the perpendicular line must be car-
ried up to the height of another part, which by reversing your
compass will draw the second centre.
12. Arch in the abbey church, Bath. We now revert to our
primaeval pointed arch, though fallen indeed in altitude, beauty,
and precision. To reduce the shape of this example before us to
geometrical rules, we must have recourse to two centres; but
though brought to the nicest degree of line, the sweep must ever
appear lame and inadequate, when compared to the regular pointed
shape. Divide the horizontal line into four parts, and from the
first strike a line for an eighth part of the assistant circle ; from
whence draw a line through the first centre, and extend it for two
divisions beyond the outside of the circle; the extreme point of
which will give the second centre, arid complete the sweep of the
arch.
13. Arch to a monument in the abbey church of Westminster.
Still lower are we fallen, and our art is approaching rapidly towards
the hour of its extinction. Divide the horizontal line into eight
parts, the first of which gives the first centre', the second will be
found by extending the inclined line for four divisions beyond the
outside of the circle.
14. Window in an abbey gateway, Maidstone, Kent. The last
sad glimmerings of our expiring feature, the pointed arch, may be
seen, as mere insertions, in square headed windows, bounded by
an horizontal and perpendicular cornice, where the triangular
proportion once more appears, bidding us a long and lasting
farewell.
[432]
15. Window at Penshurst, Kent. The same kind of square
headed window manifests itself, but devoid of any pointed forms.
Having frequently, during my various journeys through Eng-
land and Wales, had occasion to see and lament the misapplication,
and I may add, prostitution of the pointed arch, both in the public
and private buildings of our realm, I have been induced to investi-
gate the subject attentively, and to enquire by what means this
order of architecture originated, and upon what principles it was
formed. By the assistance of Mr. John Carter, whose knowledge of
each particular relating to our ancient architecture stands unri-
valled, and whose laudable and unremitting zeal for the preser-
vation of our architectural relics from the Gothic hand of innovation
stands unequalled, I am much indebted for the examples here
engraved, as well as for their explanation and illustration; and I
hope that the delineation of each arch will prove so distinct as to
enable every lover of British architecture, whether architect, artist,*
or amateur, to ascertain on what geometrical principles each arch is
formed.
1 Amongst the numerous and varied subjects which nature has adapted to the pencil
of the artist, few perhaps have such powerful attractions as the monastic buildings of
our island. Their stately ruins and secluded situation furnish to the landscape artist
the most interesting subjects; it is therefore highly necessary that he should know on
what principles, and jn what manner their architecture was formed; for as the aera of
their construction can in a great measure be ascertained by the forms of the windows,
doors, arches, &c. too much care cannot be taken in the exact delineation of each
particular.
[433 ]
LIST OF BOOKS RELATING TO WALES.
IN tracing the early history of any country, and particularly that
of Wales, where the Saints and Marty re made so conspicuous a
figure, and gave their names to so many churches ; much local and
historical information may be gained by consulting the works that
relate to them.
1 . Nova Legenda Angliae. Printed by Wynken de Worde, A. D.
1516.
This book is commonly called " Capgrave's Lives of the Saints," and is exceedingly
scarce.
2. Britannia Sancta.
In two parts, quarto. Printed by Thomas Meighan, 1745.
3. Lives of the Saints, Fathers, Martyrs, Sec. by Butler, 12, vol. 8vo.
Dublin, 1779.
4. Cressy's Church History, 2 vol. folio, 1668.
A book full of information respecting the British history.
We must next have recourse to the old English historians, such
as Matthew of Westminister, Henry Huntingdon, William of
Malmesbury, Matthew Paris, Bede, Nennius, and many others, who
recorded the early annals of the British history. We shall then
VOL. II. 3 K
[ 434 ]
proceed to those authors who have made Wales more particularly
the object of their writings, and at the head of these I shall place
4. Giraldus Cambrensis Itinerarium Cambriae, et Cambriae De-
scriptio, I2mo. 1585.
Reprinted by Camden in folio, 1602.
Reprinted with several additions in 4 to. by William Bulmer,
London, 1806, for William Miller, Albemarle Street.
5. Wotton Leges Wallicae, fol. 1730.
6. H. Lhuyd Britannicae Descriptionis Fragmentum, 12mo. 1572.
Reprinted in 4to. 1731.
A translation of this work into English may be seen at the
end of
7. Lewis's History of Britain, fol. 1729.
8. Historian Britannicae Defensio, auctore Johanne Price, 4to. Lon-
dini, 1573.
9. Historic of Cambria, by Dr. Powel, black letter, 4to. 1584.
10. Wynne's History of Wales, 8 vo. 1697.
Reprinted in 8vo. 1774.*
11. Churchyard's Worthiness of Wales, 8vo. 1587.
Reprinted in 1776.
Full of curious matter.
12- Enderbie Cambria triumphans. fol. 1661.
A very scarce and dear book, but containing less interesting matter than would be
expected from a volume of such a size.
* These two editions are exceedingly incorrect, and by no means correspond with
the old edition, which contains much more original and authentic matter than the two
later editions. A new edition of the^/irsf work, compared and corrected by the Welsh
Chronicles lately printed in the Myvyrian Archaiology, is a great literary desideratum,
and would become doubly valuable, if the names of the castles, places, and persons,
were explained by some intelligent Cambrian.
[ 435 ]
13. British Antiquities revived by Robert Vaughan of Hengwrt, 4to.
1662.
A very scarce little book.
14. Dodridge's Historical Account of the Principality of Wales,
8vo. second edition, 1714.
15. Owen's History of the ancient Britons, 8vo. 1 743.
16. Owen's British Remains, 8vo. 1777.
17. Whitaker's History of the Britons asserted, 8vo. 1772.
18. Robert's early History of the Britons, 8vo. 1803.
19. Vindication of the ancient British Poems, by Sharon Turner,
8vo. 1804.
20. Jones's Musical Relics of the Welsh Bards, fol. 1794.
21. Warrington's History of Wales, 2 vols. 4to. 1786.
Another edition in 2 vols. 8vo.
22- History of the Welsh Cathedrals, viz. Llandaff, St. David's,
St. Asaph, and Bangor, by Browne Willis, in 4 vols. 8vo.
23. Survey of Saint Asaph, enlarged from the work of B. Willis, by
E. Edwards, 2 vols. 8vo. 1801.
24. Rowland's Mona antiqua, 4to. 1766.
25. History of Anglesey, with Memoirs of Owen Glendwr, 4 to.
1775.
26. History of the Gwedir family, by Sir John Wynne, 12mo
1770.
27. Yorke's Royal Tribes of Wales, 4to. 1799.
28. The Heroic Elegies of Llywarch Hen translated by William
Owen, 8vo, 1792-
29. Poems by Edward Williams, 2 vols. 12mo. 1794.
30. Wallography, or the Briton described, by W. R I2mo. 1682-
[ 436 ]
31. The History of Wales by R. B. 12mo. 1695.
32. An Essay on the Mines of Sir Carbery Price in Cardiganshire,
by W. Waller, second edition, 12mo. 1698.
33. A Collection of Welsh Travels and Memoirs of Wales, by I. T.
8vo. 1738.
34. A geographical, historical, and religious Account of the Parish
of Aberystwith, in Monmouthshire, by Edward Jones, 8vo.
1779.
35. Memoirs of Monmouthshire, 12mo. 1708.
36. Williams's History of Monmouthshire, 4to. 1796.
37. Coxe's historical Tour in Monmouthshire, 2 vols. 4to. 1801.
38. A Picture of Monmouthshire, 1 vol. 8vo. extracted from the
larger work of Mr. Coxe.
39. History of Brecknockshire, by Theophilus Jones, volume the
first, 4 to, 1805.
40. Manby's History of St. David's, 8vo. 1801.
41. A Sketch of the History of Caernarvonshire, 12mo. 1792.
42. Traveller's Companion from London (through Wales) to Holy-
head, 12mo. 1796.
43. A Collection of Welsh Tours, 12mo. 1797.
44. Letters from Snowdon, 8vo. 1770.
45. An Account of some of the most romantic Parts of North
Wales, 12mo. 1777.
46. William's Observations on the Snowdon Mountains, 8vo. 1802-
47. The Cambrian Register for 1795 and 1796, 2 vols. 8vo.
48. The Cambrian Directory, 8vo. 1800.
49. Cambrian Itinerary, 8vo. 1801.
50. Cambrian Biography, 12mo. 1803.
[437 ]
5 1 . Buck's View of Antiquities in Wales, fol.
52,. Grose's Antiquities of Wales, fol.
53. Paul Sandby's Views in Wales.
4
I now come to a class of books, which, from the number of their
volumes, ought to contain every information, both local and his-
torical, that the reader could expect or desire ; but, (excepting the
first,} each traveller seems to have followed the other in the same
old beaten path, instead of seeking new beauties and new matter.
TOURS.
54. Pennant's Tour through North Wales, 2 vols. 4to. 1784.
55. Pennant's History of Whiteford and Holywell, Flintshire, 4to
1796.
56. A Gentleman's Tour through Wales, 12mo. 1774. It is singular
that no previous attempt should have been made to describe a
country so highly interesting. This little tour grew into a
large quarto volume in the year 1781, when the author, Mr.
Wyndham, put his name to the publication. Though ihe first
of the tours through Wales, I question if it be not still the
best. With a few additions, it would undoubtedly rank next to
Pennant.
57. Wyndham's Tour through Wales, 4to. 1781.
58. Tour through the South of England and Wales, 8vo. 1793.
59. Aikin's Tour through North Wales, 8vo. 1/97.
60. Warner's Walk through Wales, 8vo. 1798.
61. Warner's second Walk, 8vo. 1799.
62. Skrine's Tour through Wales, 8vo. 1798.
[ 438 ]
63. Bingley's Tour in North Wales, 2 vols. 8vo. 1800.
64. Evans's Tour in North Wales, 8vo. 1800.
65. Manby's Tour in South Wales, 8vo. 1802.
66. Lipscombe's Tour in South Wales, 8vo. 1802.
67. Barber's Tour through South Wales, 8vo. 1803.
68. Mutton's Remarks on North Wales, 8vo. 1803.
69. Evans's Tour in South Wales, 8vo. 1804.
70. Malkin's Scenery of South Wales, 4to. 1804
71. Donovan's Tour through South Wales, 2 vols. 8vo. 1805
72 Tour through part of South Wales by a pedestrian traveller,
4to. 1797.
73. Myvyrian Archaiology, Vol. I. and II. 8vo. 1801.
These are all the books concerning Wales, that have fallen
under my observation, but doubtless there are others with which
I am unacquainted. There are many detached accounts re-
lating to Wales, in the works of Buck, Grose, and the Archaio-
logia, Topographer, Antiquarian Repertory, 8cc. &c. kc. ; but the
scenery of Wales, with its military and monastic antiquities,
have hitherto been very imperfectly illustrated. The publica-
tion most likely, not only to preserve the early and authentic
records of the British history from oblivion, but to throw an im-
portant light on the history of Cambria, is the Myvyrian Archaio-
logy, of which two volumes have already been printed in Welsh.
The first contains the poetry of the Welsh Bards. The second
a variety of interesting historical matter : viz. 1 . Triads ; 2-
Genealogy of the British Saints ; 3 . Chronicle of the Kings of
Britain; 4. Chronicle of the Princes; 5. Chronicle of the Saxons;
[ 439 ]
6. Life of Gruffydh ap Cynan, from 1079 to 1137 ; 7. Divisions of
Wales ; 8. Parishes of Wales. The third volume is now nearly
completed under the direction of Mr. William Owen : its contents
will be chiefly, ethical triads and proverbs, triads of law, and the
principles of government of the ancient Britons; a most interesting
collection. About a fifth part of the volume will contain ancient
music copied in an obsolete notation. It is sincerely to be wished
that some learned Cambrian would undertake the translation of the
chronicles arid historical part of these collections ; for, excepting the
first edition of the History of Wales, we have no tolerably authen-
tic account of that country. Justice to a most worthy character
demands that I should say something more respecting this valuable
publication, which has originated solely from Mr. Owen Jones,
who, for many years, has not only made the study of Welsh litera-
ture his recreation from the cares of an extensive trade, but has
encouraged it in others, who had merits, but whose means were
confined, by administering to their wants in the most liberal mari-
ner. His expenses in collecting materials, and for the publication
of the My vyrian Archaiology, have been very heavy ; for in the
course of the last four years, he has procured transcripts of all
the works of the poets from about the year 1300 to the close of
the reign of Queen Elizabeth, wherein the works of each writer
are separately classed. This collection amounts to sixty quarto
volumes of about 450 pages each, and is not yet completed. The
name of Myvyrian was affixed to this work out of compliment to
Mr. Jones, who was born at Tyddyn Tydyr, in the parish of Lhan-
vihangel Glyn ij Myvyr, near Ceryg y Drudion, in Denbighshire.
Glyn y Myvyr in Welsh signifies the Vale of Contemplation.
[ 440 ]
I cannot conclude without expressing a wish, that Mr. Jones's
friends would decorate some succeeding volume of the Archaiology
with the portrait of a character so truly deserving the thanks and
commendation of the literary world.
INDEX TO VOLUME II.
A.
ABEK, pages 46, 391
Aberfraw, 271
Abergavenny, 369
Abcr Lhicnnawc, 119
Aberystwith, 383
Album Monasterium, 172, 5
Amlwch, 390
Architecture, its progress, 411
Architects, hints to, 408
Ardudwy, province of, 78
Ariconium, Roman station, 400
Armorica, its derivation, 2, 254
Awenydhion, 325
B.
Banchor, Flintshire, massacre at, 349
Barigor, Caernarvonshire, 83, 95, 123
Bala, Lake, &c. 165, 7
Baldwin, Archbishop, 84, 205, 8, 10
Bards, their history, 300
Bardsey Island, 83, 91
Barmouth, 386
Basimverk, 135, 53
Beavers, their nature, 49, 56
Beaumaris Castle, &c. 115, 390
Bedgelert, 389
Belesmc, Robert de, 173, 8
Belinus, or Beli, 262
Bettws, tombs, 390
Books relating to Wales, 433
Boats called Coracles, 333
Brecknock, 368
Brumfeld, 186, 93
Brychan, 293
C.
Caerdigan, 52
Caernarvon, 83, 93, 388
VOL. II.
Caer Gai, Roman station, 170, 385
Caerleon, 370
Cardiff, 371
Caerphilly, 371
Caer Hen (Conovium) 391
Cadair Idris, 385
Cambria, its derivation, 287
Canarch, or Kenarth, 48, 382
Capel Cerrig, 389, 90
Carew, Castle, &c. 379
Cam Madryn, 82, 8
Castles, Welsh, their character, 401, 2
Chester, 165, 7
Chirk Castle, 396
Cilgarran Castle, &c. 48, 58
Clynnog Vawr, 388
Coleshulle, 135, 6
Conwy Abbey, 134, 9, 391,— Castle, 391
Coraw, or Colleges, 96
Corsygedol, 386
Corinasus, 255
Cowbridgc, 374
Credon Hill, 367
Criccieth Castle, 387
Crickhowel, 369
Cross, origin of assuming it, 39
Cruc Mawr, 51, 60
D.
David ap Jcvan, Defender of Harlech Castle,
86
Deganwy Fortress, 134, 7
Denbigh Castle, 392
Deudraeth Castle, 82, 7
Dinas Emrys, 124, 5, 389
Dinas Dinlle, 388
Dolgelley, 385
Dolbadern Castle, 389
Dolwyddelan Castle, 390
M
INDEX.
Donat's, Saint, Castle, &c. 374
Drusslyn Castle, 377
Dunravcn, 375
E.
Eden Oen, Abbot of Lhaupadarn, 64
Ellonnith Mountains, 62, 71
Eulo Castle, 399
Ewenny Priory, &c. 375
F.
Fishgnard, 381
Fitz-Alan, William, 172, 7
Flint Castle, 399
Foxley, 307
G.
Genealogies, Welsh, 262, 331
Gower-land, 376
Guy, Bishop of Bangor, 84
Gwedir, 390
H.
Harlech Castle, 85, 386
Harold, 105, his death, &c. 351
Havod, 383
Hawarden Castle, 399
Hawkstone, 399
Henry V. Emperor, 165, 70
Henry II. his Expeditions into Wales, 135, 57
Hereford, 186, 366
Holywcll, miracle, 393
Hugh, Earl of Chester, 104, 11, 18,20
Hugh, Earl of Shrewsbury, 104, 11, 19
I.
Idnert, Bishop, 73
Jorwerth Drwymhvn, 80, 127, 8
K.
Kemmer Abbey, near Dolgcllcy, 385
Kemcys Province and its Lords, 36, 40
L.
Lagana, 293
Leominster, 186, 201
Llanbublic, 94
Llandaff, 372
Llandewi Brevi, 63, 71, 2, 382
Landscape Painters, hints to, 405
Llanendwyn, tombs, 386
Langton, Archbishop, 241
Lanpeder, or Pons Stephani, 51, 62, 5
Llanpadarn Vawr, 63, 74, 6
Lantwit, 375
Llanrwst, bridge, tombs, 390
Llanvair, 77
Lhyn, or Lleyn, province of, 82
Lhyn Cywellyn, 389
Lhyn y dywarchen, 130, 3
Lhyn y dinas, 389
Lhyn Gwynedd, 389
Lhyn Ogwen, 390
Lhynniau Nantllc, 389
Ludlow, 186, 94
M.
Machynlleth, 384
Maen Morddwyd, miraculous stone, 104
Magnus, the Dane, 105
Malpas, anecdote, 186
Margan, 375
Mathraval, 271
Merionyth, 78, 9, 80
Merlin, prophets, 7, 8, 90, 124, 327, 8, 9
Merthyr Tydvil, 374
Mona, or Anglesey, 101, 8
N.
Neth, 376
Nevern, or Lanhever, 37, 44
Nevyn, tournament at, 83, 9
Newcastle Emelyn, 48, 65
Newport (Pembrokeshire), 44, 381
Newport (Monmouthshire), 370
O.
Offa, his dyke, 394
Oswestry, 172, 6
Owen Cyveilioc, 174 — his life, 211— poems,
217
Owen Gwynedh, 127
P.
Pall, archiepiscopal, 3
Paris Mountain, 390
Paschal, Pope, 165, 70
INDEX.
Pelagian Heresy, 72
Penalt, Roman station, 384
Penmaen Mawr, 391
Pennant Melangell, 128
Picton Castle, 379
Pistyll Dewi, 8
Plas Newydd, Anglcsca, 389
Pont y Pridd, 371
Pont Baldwin, 381
Port Escewin, or Portscwit, 253, 5
Port Gordbcr in Anglesca, 253, 4
Port Mawr, St. David's, 253, 5
Powys, principality, 176 — Castle, &c. 274
Prescelly Hills, 36, 41
Princes of Wales in the time of Giraldus,
175, 81
Priestholme Island, 106, 21
Priories, Alien, described, 190
R.
Reiner, Bishop of St. Asaph, 172
Rhaiader-du, waterfall, 386
Rhys, the Lord, his feast at Aberteivi, 53
Rhys ap Grulfydh, death and character, 183
Rivers in Wales— Alun, 7, 8 — Avon, 281—
Arthro, 78, 284 — Cledheu, 282— Chvyd,
284— Conwy, 284— Dee, 165, 284— Dis-
senneth,284— Dovey,77, 9, 283— Lochor,
281— Maw, 77, 283— Neth, 281— Rcmni,
280 — Severn, 279 — Taf, 280— Tave, 282
Tawe, 281 — Teivi, 48, 55, 282— Tywy,
or Towy, 281— Usk, 280— VVendraeth,
281 — Wye, 280— Ystwyth, 283
Roch Castle, 380
Ross, tombs, 400
Ruthyn Castle, 393
Ruthlan Castle, 134, 41
S.
Saint Asaph, 135 — See described, 144
Saint Beuno, 388
Saint Bernach, 37, 43
Saint Canoe, 38
Saint David, 10 — Bishops, 1 — See described,
21
Saint Dogmael, 38, 45, 381
Saint Kentigern, 145
Saint Ludoc, 48, 9
Saint Milburg, 188
Saint Paternus, 75
Saint Tefredaucus, 104
Saint Winefrede, 393
Salmon, their nature, 48
Sanctuaries, their privileges, 335
Segontium, Roman city, 94
Shrewsbury, 174
Sisillus Esceir hir, 36
Slate Quarries, 390
Slebach, 379
Snowdon Mountains, 130, 1 — Ascent, 389
Spring, ebbing, 134
Stackpole, 380
Stratflur Abbey, 62, 6, 383
Supplement, 365
T.
Tanybwlch, 386
Tenbigh, 379
Tours, Martin de, 37, 40, 45
Towy, Vale of, 377
Towyn, 77, 9
Traeth Mawr and Bychan, 82, 284, 387
Turbcrville family, 375
V.
Vallies in Wales, 406
Vale of Dee, 400
Valley of Vortigern, 387
Vcre, Alberic de, 107 — His Combat, 122
Urchenfeld, 264, 77
Usk, 370
W.
AVales— Cathedrals, 263— Cantreds, 263—
described by Giraldus, 253 — Divisions,
256,65 — Palaces, 263 — Rivers and Moun-
tains, 279 — Improvements, 403
Watt's Dyke described, 397
Welsh — their Music, 296— Rhetoric and Al-
literation, 298 — Songs, 319 — Anecdote of
them in London, 113
Wenloch Abbey, 186, 8
Wye, Tour upon from Ross, 400
CORRECTIONS.
Page 25, last line, erase the words of Rhys.
32. line 22, for dstroyed, read destroyed.
64^ — 1, omit tiiejirst word old.
67, — 1, for o/", read or.
145, — 20, omit the second -word Jit.
156, — 16, for same King, read King Henry.
167, — 7, for twcnieth, read twentieth.
180, — 18, for whatsover, read whatsoever.
198, — 4, omit the first word a.
247, — 20, for wordly, read worldly.
258, — 21, for Reimvicc, read Rcinwc.
317, — 2, insert the word zY, between wzade and the.
332, — 18, for Qam, read Quam.
337, — 14, for wordly, read worldly.
352, Annotations, for edit fas, read cdlfast.
365, line 8, for Acs, read /iircf.
369, — 23, for MzVz, read Skirid.
382, — 25, for of, read to.
397, last line, for Caei/estyn, read Caer Jestyn.
415, line 3, for interesting, read intersecting.
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